


Year by Year-Second Time Around

by AGJ1990



Series: Evelyn Winchester [43]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Do over - Freeform, Sam Winchester's an amazing big brother AND father, Second Chance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-03 20:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 25,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14004345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGJ1990/pseuds/AGJ1990
Summary: Takes place during my story 'New Life, New Family'. Snippets from one year each of Evy's life.





	1. Six Years Old

**Author's Note:**

> The characters of Supernatural do not belong to me. The original character of Evelyn Winchester does.

“Cricket, I’m going to sit down for a minute, okay?”

“Can I keep playing?” Evy asked, out of breath and panting.

Sam laughed. “That’s fine. Just make sure you drink some water, okay? I don’t want you to get dehydrated.”

“Thanks, Sammy.” Evy said, running back towards the group of kids on the playground.

            Sam chuckled to himself. Evy had been with him for two weeks now, and he didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of this earlier. They were still in the process of setting up their new house. It was quite the adjustment for all of them, but one that Sam was looking forward to. As he took his seat, he noticed an older woman walking towards him. She looked familiar, but Sam couldn’t place her right away. She made it to Sam and cautiously asked,

“Sam Winchester?”

“Yes?” Sam answered. “Do I know you?”

“I don’t know if you remember me or not, but I was Evy’s principal years ago.”

The pieces fell into place. “Mrs. Jackson?”

“Yes. How are you?”

            Sam stood up and embraced Mrs. Jackson. She had been an invaluable help the first time Sam had raised Evy, while he’d been going to Stanford. She would babysit for him for free while he went to class, allow Evy to come to her house for sleepovers with her daughter, helped Evy adjust to being at a school where all the other students were years older than she was, and given Sam advice when he felt lost raising a child virtually by himself. She’d invited Sam, Evy, and Jess for holidays, knowing that their extremely tight budget made it hard for them to provide a decent holiday for her. After Jess’s death, Mrs. Jackson had attempted to stay in touch with them, but it was hard with all the travelling that they had been doing. Sam released her, shocked to see her.

“I’m great. How are you?” Sam asked.

“I’m well. How about Evy? How’s she doing?”

Sam’s smile suddenly faded. “You don’t know.”

“Know what?” Mrs. Jackson asked.

Sam took a breath and glanced towards the Evy that was now playing on the slide. She was giggling and landed at the bottom of the slide flat on her bottom, which made her giggle even harder. She pushed herself up and started to go again. Sam looked down, not ready to admit the truth to Mrs. Jackson.

“Sam? What is it?”

“Evy died three years ago.” Sam told her.

“What?” Mrs. Jackson asked. “How?”

“Complications from the flu.” Sam said, keeping it as simple as possible.

“Sam, I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Jackson said, shocked.

“Thanks.” Sam said sadly, looking away from her.

Evy giggled again, and Mrs. Jackson looked over at her. “That little girl…”

“She’s Evy’s daughter.” Sam said, praying that his cover wouldn’t be blown. “She lives with me.”

“She’s adorable.” Mrs. Jackson said. “She looks just like her mom.”

 _You have no idea how true that is,_ Sam thought to himself. “Yeah. She does.”

Evy suddenly ran up to Sam, still out of breath and panting.

“You okay?” Sam asked, amused at how hard she was playing.

“I’m fine.” Evy said. “You told me to make sure I drank some water.”

“Oh! Right.” Sam said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the water bottle he had in there. It was over half empty, but he handed it to her. “Drink this, then ten more minutes and we head home.”  
            Evy was taking a big drink of the water. She gulped and handed it back to Sam, nodding her head. She finally caught her breath, then seemed to notice there was someone else there. She clammed up; she wasn’t good around strangers. She grabbed Sam’s hand, and Sam made the introductions.

“Cricket, this is Mrs. Jackson. She was one of your mom’s schoolteachers.”

Suddenly Evy wasn’t so shy. “Really? You knew my mommy?”

Mrs. Jackson smiled. “I sure did. You look just like her. I have a feeling you’re very smart like she was, too.”

Evy blushed at the compliment, and blushed even deeper when Sam said, “She sure is.”

“What grade are you in, sweetheart?” Mrs. Jackson asked.

Evy looked to Sam in panic; she wasn’t quite sure what to say.

“She’ll start second in the fall.” He answered for her.

“That’s great.” Mrs. Jackson said. “Well, I have to get going. You two have a good day.”

“You too, Mrs. Jackson.” Sam said. He gently prompted the still shy Evy by squeezing her hand. “Can you tell her bye?”

“Bye, Mrs. Jackson. It was nice to meet you.”

“My, you are so polite. It was nice to meet you too, um…” Mrs. Jackson blushed when she realized she had forgotten to ask Evy’s name.

“Abigail.” Sam answered. Evy bit her bottom lip and didn’t say anything.

“Abigail.” Mrs. Jackson repeated.

            As Mrs. Jackson walked off, Sam noticed that Evy had gone quiet. When Mrs. Jackson was out of earshot, Sam wrapped an arm around Evy’s shoulder. He wanted to apologize for putting Evy on the spot like that, and tell her she’d done a good job with going along with him. But then Evy asked,

“Was she really one of mommy’s teachers?”

            Never before had Sam had to solve a dilemma so fast. Did he tell her the truth-that Mrs. Jackson had never met her mother and that he’d been referring to the older version of Evy herself? He quickly ruled out that option. If he told her that, he’d have to explain that there _was_ an older version of her. But Evy was so eager for information about her mother that Sam hated to tell her anything that wasn’t true. He decided to let her believe he had told the truth. One day he’d have to explain it to her, and he just hoped she would forgive him then.

“She sure was.” Sam said.

“Why did you tell her my name was Abigail?” Evy asked. “That’s my middle name. You don’t use that unless I’m in trouble.”   
_Damn it_ , Sam thought. _Sometimes you’re too smart for your own good_. “I was just trying an experiment. See if you like Abigail better.” Evy frowned and scrunched her nose, like she was eating a lemon, and Sam laughed. “I’ll take that as a no?”

“No!” Evy said emphatically. She looked back towards the playground. “Can I go back and play now?”

“Sure, Cricket.” Sam said. “Twenty minutes.”  
“I thought you said ten.” Evy said.

“Well, I guess you’re old brother’s just a big ol’ pushover, huh?” Sam said, tickling her belly to make her laugh. “Or…”

“Or what?” Evy asked.

“You can have twenty more minutes at the park or ice cream.”

“Can I have ten and we do both?” Evy asked.

Sam laughed again. “Deal. Go, be free. Enjoy your last ten minutes.”

            Evy ran back towards the slide. Sam cringed a bit when he realized how dirty she was. He then cringed at himself when he realized that he had even _noticed_ how dirty she was. _Does that mean I’m turning into a parent now?_ He thought to himself with a smile. Evy called for him, begging him to help her across the monkey bars. Sam happily obliged, grabbing her and flinging her into the air to make her giggle before they made it to the monkey bars.


	2. Seven Years Old

When Evy woke, her ears were ringing and her head was aching all over again. She stirred, thinking that she was just at home in bed and it was time to get up soon. Her head started to throb, and she started to call out for Sammy. She had to be sick. Until she remembered. She wasn’t home. She had been taken from home, taken to somewhere she didn’t know by someone she didn’t know.

            Taken to watch her family die, over and over again.

            Instinctively, she tried to get up. Tried to run, tried to move, anything. But she couldn’t. She was still tied to the chair. Her wrists were raw from where she’d tried to break herself free. It was hard to breathe through her nose form all the crying she’d done. Her head throbbed, and her throat was sore. Before she could of anything else to try, he was back.

“Hey, you little brat. You’re awake.”

Evy let out a moan and shut her eyes tight, hoping it would take her away from this place, and she wouldn’t have to do this again. “Please, please let me go. Don’t make me do it again.”

“Uh uh, doesn’t work that way.”

            She didn’t know his name, or whether he was even human. But she knew what him snapping his fingers meant. It meant that she was going to have to watch it again. Sure enough, when she heard the snap of fingers, her eyes snapped open and she couldn’t shut them again.

“I’ll give you the same chance. Make the choice before I bring them in here.”

“No.” Evy said, though there was less force behind her refusal this time than there had been before.

Her captor shook his head with a smile. “Okay, kid. You asked for it.”

            One at a time, her family appeared in front of her. First John, who looked at her with the disapproval she’d been used to while she lived with him. Then came a woman she’d talked to, but never really met before. Her mother Missy, who looked sad and hurt. Then came Dean, who seemed angry with her. Finally came Sam, who wasn’t angry, but was hurt and scared. That hurt worse than anything. Sam was the only person she felt that had ever loved her unconditionally, and to see him so hurt with her broke her heart.

“I’m sorry.” She said for what felt like the millionth time.

“Won’t do any good.” Her captor said. “You know the drill, kid. Make the choice.”

“Why?” Evy asked, crying again. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I like it.” He said, grinning. “Now. Make the choice. I’ve got as long as it takes.”

            Evy looked back towards her family. All of them were begging her not to choose them. A part of Evy knew that this couldn’t be real. Her mother and father were both dead. Dean and Sam weren’t restrained, but weren’t making an effort to free her either. But she couldn’t stand this. She couldn’t watch them all die again. Even if they weren’t real, she’d still have the memory of them begging her not to kill them.

“I’ve got all night, kid.”

            Evy looked down. She didn’t refuse to make the choice right away, like she’d done the other times. How many times had it happened now? Five? Ten? A hundred? She didn’t know anymore. She could hear her family still crying for her not to choose them. But she had to do something. Her captor had promised if she made the choice, she wouldn’t have to go through this again. He’d let her go, and she could go back to her family, minus whoever she picked to die right now. So, as much as she hated herself for it, she started to think about who to choose. No matter who she chose, everyone else would hate her. It was realizing this that helped Evy make her choice. She could live with three of her four family members hating her. But there was one she couldn’t live with. With tears in her eyes, she looked back up and whispered her choice.

“Sammy.”

“What?” Her captor asked. “What did you say?”

“Sammy.” Evy said, unable to look in her brother’s direction. Her lip trembled and she said a little louder, “I choose Sammy.”

            Her captor looked down at her in shock. Yeah, the kid was young, but he hadn’t expected to break her. He’d thought their little dance would keep going. The kid would refuse to make a choice, he would continue to kill her fake family, and he would be able to keep feeding off her misery. True, it would kill her when he killed her brother, but he wouldn’t be able to make her as miserable again as she was right now. He was almost tempted to ask her if she was sure, but he didn’t.

“Damn, kid. I must be getting good. I didn’t think I’d break you.”

            He finally allowed Evy to close her eyes, and she was grateful. She heard Sam choking, heard him call her name one last time, heard him take his last breath. When she finally turned around, she expected to see Dean, John, and Missy. She expected them to start telling her how terrible a person she was, how horrible what she had just done was. But they were all gone, and all she saw was Sam. Lying on the floor, his throat slit, blood everywhere. He looked terrified. Her captor was nowhere around, and she was surprised that she could move. She ran to Sam and grabbed his arm, shaking it.

“Sammy, wake up. Please wake up. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please wake up.”

But of course Sam was dead. Dead and gone. And her entire family had left her. She’d killed Sam to stop herself from being hurt. Even at only seven, she knew that he would never have done that to her. He would have died first. She had become as evil as the things that Dean currently hunted, and she hated herself for it. Once she realized that, she gave up trying to wake Sam, and just sat on the floor, hugging her knees and crying as hard as she could.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she flinched but didn’t fight it. She was too tired. She heard a familiar voice speaking to her, but she didn’t turn her head to look at him. She heard someone else in the room, heard a gun go off, and the same kind of strangling noise she’d heard when Sam died. The second voice shot a couple more times, made a phone call, then made his way over to her.

“Hey, kiddo. You okay?”

Evy finally lifted her head and looked up into Dean’s face. “Deanie?”

“Yeah, kiddo. It’s me. Are you hurt?”

Evy couldn’t answer him, just started to cry all over again. Dean reached over to take her arm, but she flinched and pulled away from him. Dean sighed. The kids he’d interviewed while hunting this thing had all had similar reactions. They’d been scared and fearful of everything weeks, clinging to their parents like scared toddlers But Dean had to get her out of here. Even though the thing, which Cass had called a Genai, was dead, Dean didn’t want her hanging out here while he cleaned up the mess. And he didn’t want to stick her in the car for a long ride either. Dean reached out his hand a little, but didn’t grab her again.

“Listen, kiddo. You’re safe now. I don’t know what happened to you, but it’s over. Cass’ll take you to aunt Jody’s. Sammy’s waiting for you there.”

Evy finally looked up at them. “Sammy’s…” She swallowed and took a breath. “Sammy’s okay?”

“Yeah, kiddo. Sammy’s okay.” Dean said. “He’s waiting at aunt Jody’s for you right now. He’s worried sick about you.”

“I thought….” Evy said, but she couldn’t finish her thought. It was still too terrible for her to admit, even to herself.

“You thought what, kiddo?” Dean tried. When she didn’t answer, he decided not to push it. “Listen, baby girl. Cass is gonna take you to aunt Jody’s, okay?”

“You’re not taking me?” Evy asked.

“It’s a long drive from here, baby girl. Cass can get you there quick. I’ll come meet you as soon as I can.” Dean promised. “I just want to check you over first. Make sure you’re not hurt, okay?”

Evy nodded and allowed Dean to pick her up. Dean examined her, and when he couldn’t find any physical injuries, he held her for a few minutes and tried to comfort her. When she had finally stopped crying, Dean patted her back and motioned Cass over to them.

“Listen, kiddo. I’m gonna give you to Cass now. Just close your eyes and he’ll get you home before you know it. Okay?”

“I’m scared.” Evy said, her voice barely audible as her face was buried in Dean’s neck.

“I know.” Dean finally noticed that she was shaking. “But just trust Cass and me. Okay? He’ll take you out to the car, get you a blanket, and get you home.”   
“You’re coming too, right?” Evy asked, lifting her face up.

“Yeah. I’ll be there before you know it. I swear.” Dean promised. “I love you, kiddo. You know that, right?”

“I love you too.” Evy said, squeezing Dean’s neck again.

“Get home, kiddo. Everything’s good now.”

            Dean finally handed Evy to Cass, who, though still not accustomed to holding small children, took his job seriously. He held her tight to him, walked out to the car, got the blanket like Dean had said, and wrapped it around her. He made sure she was covered up and prepared to take himself and her to Jody’s. From the time she landed in Cass’s arms, Evy had begun making a decision that would changer her family forever. Even if it hadn’t been real, she had killed her brother in that room. But Sam was more than a brother to her, and it was time to make that real. Cass got her home, home to Sammy, who took her, held her, and eventually put her to bed. As she laid down and drifted off to sleep, feeling Sam’s fingers running through her hair, she didn’t even think about it.

“I love you, Cricket. I love you so much.”

“Love you too, Daddy.”

            With that, even though she felt him stop stroking her hair, she finally knew she was safe. She resolved to never tell Sam what it was she had done, for fear that he’d hate her if he found out. But right then, all she wanted was to sleep. Sam stayed until he was sure was actually sleeping, then left the room. Evy woke a few minutes later, and when she realized she was alone, she panicked. She recognized the guest room at her aunt Jody’s, and called for her.

“Aunt Jody!”

Jody came running. “Baby, what is it? Are you okay?”

“Where’s my daddy?”

Jody, surprised, asked Evy, “Your daddy?”

“Where is he? He was here when I fell asleep.” Evy asked. “I want my daddy.”

 _Sam_ , Jody finally realized. _She’s asking for Sam._ “Come on, baby. I’ll take you to him.”

Jody picked her up and opened the front door, where she saw Sam sitting in the front seat of his car. Sam walked to them and Jody explained, “She’s asking for you. At least I think she is.”

“What do you mean you think she is?” Sam asked.

Evy picked her head up off Jody’s shoulder and reached for Sam. “Daddy.”

Sam pulled her form Jody’s arms. “You okay?” he asked. “What’s the matter?”

“I don’t want to sleep alone.” Evy answered.

“Okay. You don’t have to.” Sam said. “Come on.”

            Sam took Evy to the couch, where he wrapped her up again. This time, though, he didn’t leave her. Jody wrapped up Sam too, and got ready to leave for work. Evy took Beanie, her teddy bear, and curled up as close to Sam as was possible. Sam pulled her around so that she could listen to his heart. She finally felt safe enough to sleep when she heard Sam talk to her again.

“Daddy’s got you now, baby. Get some sleep.”

 

 


	3. Eight Years Old

The local Lebanon pharmacist, Annie Markson, had seen what felt like a million kids come into the pharmacy in the last three weeks. School had started less than a month ago, but an outbreak of flu had kept a lot of the local kids out of class. But there was something special about the little girl that walked in with her father that night. Annie knew from the look on the little girl’s face that she had the flu. She was shaking, pale, and just looked plain miserable. Her father walked to the counter, and the little girl stepped up beside him, wrapping an arm around her dad’s leg. Her dad placed a hand on top of her head and said something to her that the pharmacist couldn’t quite make out.

“I’ll be right with you guys.”

“Sure.” The dad said.

Annie finished the prescription she was on, sealed the bottle, and walked over. “How can I help you guys?”

“We need to drop this off.” The dad said, handing her a paper prescription.

 _Just like I thought. She’s got the flu._ “Okay. I have a couple prescriptions in front of you guys, but it shouldn’t take more than a half hour. You want to wait?”

The dad looked down to the little girl, who still had her arms wrapped around his leg. “You okay to wait, baby?”

The little girl let out a nasty, wet cough before saying, “I don’t feel so good.”

The dad frowned and picked her up. “I know, baby. I know.” He turned to Annie and told her, “We’ll wait.”

            Annie nodded, and watched as they walked to the waiting area. While filling the two prescriptions in front of theirs, she kept stealing glances at the father and little girl. The dad held her in his lap the whole time, rubbing her back and singing softly to her. Annie filled the other two prescriptions, then moved to the little girls’. She learned from the prescription that the girl’s name was Evelyn Winchester. She was surprised to see Evelyn was eight years old; she looked two years younger than that. Annie heard Evelyn let out another cough, and saw her father hug her and kiss her cheek. The pharmacist closed the bag, then opened it back up and dropped in a lollipop for Evelyn.

“Evelyn Winchester.”

Evelyn’s father rubbed her back. “Time to go, baby.” Evelyn moaned a little; she had clearly gotten comfortable. “Shhh. It’s okay, you don’t have to get up.”

            Annie watched as the father, who seemed abnormally big and strong, picked up Evelyn and walked to the counter with her like she was nothing more than a stuffed animal. Evelyn repositioned herself slightly, wrapping her arms around her dad’s neck and holding on. Her dad gave Annie his insurance card, paid for the medicine, and turned to leave. _Nice to meet you, Sam Winchester_ , Annie was almost tempted to say but didn’t.

“I hope you feel better, sweetie.” Annie said sincerely. The poor kid looked like she was sick _and_ hurting.

“Thank you.” Evelyn whispered. She turned her head so it was right next to her dad’s neck. “Daddy, can we go home now?”

“You bet we can. Come on.”

            Annie watched as Sam and Evelyn left the store. She looked at the clock and saw it was two minutes before closing time. There was no one else in the store and no other cars in the parking lot, so Annie locked up and watched as Sam put Evelyn back into the car. He put a blanket on top of her, leaned over and kissed her cheek, shut her door and drove away.

“Feel better, sweetie.” Annie said under her breath, then went back to start counting her receipts for the day.

 


	4. Nine Years Old

Sam smiled to himself as he listened to Evy play in the living room with Lily. He knew she’d had a great birthday, but it wasn’t over yet. Now Sam was more excited than Evy was. Dean was out picking up her last birthday present, the one that Sam knew she’d really wanted, but hadn’t asked for.

            In the living room, Evy was enjoying playing with Lily, but she couldn’t help but feel a small bit of disappointment. She hadn’t gotten the one thing she really wanted for her birthday. She loved the birthday that Sam had given her. He’d asked her over and over for weeks what she wanted, and she had given him a list, but she’d left off what she’d been dreaming about. She hated asking Sam and Dean for anything expensive. Asking John had always resulted in him getting mad at her. She knew Sam and Dean wouldn’t be angry with her, but she also knew they didn’t make a lot of money, so she didn’t want to make them feel bad. Sam washed the last dish and grinned when his phone beeped.

 _Give me two minutes, then bring her outside,_ Dean said.

Sam quickly answered, _You got all the safety equipment, right?_

 _Yes._ Dean said simply. A couple minutes later, he responded _Ready. Bring her out._

Sam walked into the living room with the two happy girls. “Hey, Baby, did you have fun today?”

Evy looked up with a smile. “I did, Daddy. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Did you open all your presents?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. I put them in my room like you told me…” Evy said, wondering where the odd question had come from.

“Are you sure?” Sam asked. “Because I think there’s one outside for you.”

Evy’s eyes got huge. “What? Really?”   
Sam laughed. “Yep. Come on.”

Evy took his hand and walked outside. Lily was grinning; Sam had clued her in on the surprise before the party. At the front door, Lily insisted on Evy closing her eyes and her and Sam leading Evy outside. Evy did, and Sam took one hand while Lily took the other. They stopped at the bottom step of the porch.

“Okay, baby. On the count of three. One, two, three.”

            When Evy opened her eyes, she gasped and covered her mouth. Dean stood there with a brand-new bike. Evy couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t told anyone, even Lily, what it was she wanted. She’d learned to ride a bike earlier in the summer, when Lily had gotten one for her birthday. They had shared for the last ten weeks. Sam had watched her and seen how happy she was while riding, then put two and two together and found her perfect birthday present. But Evy hadn’t yet moved, and when Sam looked down, saw that there were tears streaming down Evy’s face. Worried, he bent down beside her.

“Baby? Are you okay?”

Evy pointed to the bike and asked, still stunned, “Is that mine?”

Sam was relieved when he realized Evy’s tears were tears of happiness. “Yes, baby, that’s for you.”   
“How did you know?” Evy asked.

“Because I’m daddy. Daddies just know.” Sam said, pushing a stray hair out of her face.

Evy wrapped both arms around Sam’s neck so hard that she nearly pulled him down. “Thank you, Daddy.”   
“You’re welcome, baby. You’re so welcome.” Sam said. “It’s from uncle Dean too.”

Evy broke away from Sam and ran to Dean, giving him the same neck crushing hug that she’d given Sam. She took a good look at her bike, examining it closely, making Dean laugh. He’d told her once, while they were looking at getting Sam a new car, that it was important to inspect every inch of a new car or truck to make sure there were no problems with it.

“Well, kiddo? Everything good?”

Evy responded by grabbing Dean in another hug. “It’s perfect!”

“Uncle Sammy?” Lily asked from the steps. “Can we go for a ride together?”

“Of course you can.” Sam said.

Evy broke away from Dean and ran to Sam again. “Thank you Daddy!” she said for the fifth time in under ten minutes.

“You’re welcome, baby.” Sam said. He pulled her chin up so that she was looking at his face but was still wrapped around his waist. “There’s rules with this bike. You don’t follow them, I will take it away from you and you will be grounded. Understand?”

“What are they?” Evy asked.

“You have to ask permission when you want to ride your bike. Me or Dean needs to know where you are at all times. Understand?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Evy said. “What else?”

“Dean’s got your helmet and elbow and knee pads. You have to have that on you when you’re riding.”

“Okay, Daddy.” Evy said again. “Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Sam said, and he dropped the ‘serious dad’ voice he’d learned to perfect and smiled. “Go have fun, baby.”

            With one last hug for Sam and Dean, Evy was off. Dean helped her put on her helmet and pads, then she rode off with Lily towards Lily’s house to get her bike. Sam kept an eye on the two of them throughout the afternoon, until it got to be dark and he made Evy come. She thanked him and Dean twice more, and after she’d fallen asleep, Sam whispered,

“Happy birthday, baby. Daddy loves you.”


	5. Ten Years Old

Evy was almost home. She bit her bottom lip, thinking about how she was going to approach this problem. She was grounded, which meant she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere outside of her room other than school and to the bathroom. But her class was going on a trip the next day. It was a surprise from her teacher-a trip to the new local children’s museum in town. Mrs. Andrews had explained that her brother was the owner, and he wanted to see the reactions of some kids before he opened for business the following week. Evy just had to get a permission slip signed.

            Evy wasn’t sure which way Sam would go. On the one hand, he was all about her education. He was always trying to get her to learn things, and always trying to make it fun for her. On the other hand, she had really messed up the weekend before. She and Lily had gone for a bike ride, and she hadn’t told anyone where she was going. When she’d gotten back home, after hugs and a lecture, Sam had handed down her sentence. One week-no Lily, no bike, no desert, no TV, and nothing but her bedroom and classroom walls. When she finally reached her house, she saw Sam’s car in the driveway. Hoping to catch him in a good mood, a _really_ good mood, Evy walked inside. Sam was in the living room with his laptop, doing some work for his law school class. _Great_ , Evy thought. _He’s distracted. Maybe he’ll sign it and not ask what it is._

“Hi, Daddy.” Evy said as she closed the front door.

Despite being busy, Sam looked up and smiled. “Hey. How was school?”

“It was okay.” Evy said, walking over to give him a hug.

“Just okay?” Sam asked as he returned her hug. “Did something happen?”

“Kind of.” Evy said. She pulled away and pulled the permission slip out of her bag. “I’ve got a note for you.”

“Okay…” Sam said, taking it from her and quickly reading it over. His face fell in a frown and he looked back at her. “This is a permission slip.”   
Evy nodded, scared to actually ask the question. “Yeah.”   
Sam put it down and sighed. “You’re grounded. No.”

Evy didn’t know what made her do it. She really wanted to go. She didn’t want to be stuck in some random room at school while the rest of her class was off enjoying themselves. And she didn’t want to hear them all talking about it when they got back. But she did understand that she’d really messed up, and was being punished. The next day was Friday, which meant that she just had to get through one more day of ‘house arrest’, as Dean called it, before her slate was wiped clean. Evy regretted it the instant she said it, but she did, and it was too late to take it back.

“It’s for a grade.”

“What?” Sam asked.  
“It’s for a grade.” Evy repeated. “We’re supposed to write about it when we get back to school.”

            Sam took a long, hard look at Evy before responding. He knew right away she was lying. Evy was biting her bottom lip, shuffling her feet, and not looking him directly in the eye. He thought about what to do. Should he bust her then and there? Lecture her about lying to him and extend her grounding or give her lines? He thought about it for nearly a whole minute, watching Evy get more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. He ultimately decided on a different path.

“I’m gonna let you go.” Sam said. “But I’m adding lines to your grounding. Five hundred of them. ‘I will tell Daddy and uncle Dean when I leave the house’. Got it?”

“Okay, Daddy. Got it.”

Sam reached beside him and picked up his pen, quickly adding his signature to the permission slip. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” Evy said, kissing his cheek.

“You’re welcome.” Sam said. “Now go back to your room.”   
Evy nodded and picked up her backpack.   
Sam resisted the urge to call her ‘Evelyn’. “Cricket?”   
Evy turned back to Sam, the guilt clearly etched on her face. “Yeah?”

“I love you.” Sam said. “No matter what. You know that, right?”

“I know, Daddy. I love you too.”

            The rest of the night went by quietly, but for Evy it dragged on. She felt terrible about lying to Sam. She wanted to go and clear her conscience, tell him the truth, but she was scared. She didn’t want to see the look on his face when he found out she’d lied to him. When Sam came to tuck her in that night, he pretended nothing was wrong. Evy tossed and turned that night, and when she woke up the next morning, she was exhausted.

“Hey, baby, you okay?” Sam asked when he came to check on her.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Evy said quietly. “Bye, Daddy.”

“Bye, baby. Have fun today.” Sam said.

            Evy’s hand was on the doorknob when Sam said that. She stopped and shut her eyes, the guilt starting to become overwhelming. Sam had done it on purpose; he was giving her a chance to tell him the truth. But Evy didn’t take it. She turned and faked a smile.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

            When she was gone, Sam shook his head. He had a plan. He would give her until she went to bed that night. If she didn’t tell him, he’d check Evy’s claim with her teacher, then confront her about it later. He knew it wasn’t likely she’d wait much longer, though. Evy couldn’t stand the thought that she might disappoint him. So, while going about his normal day, Sam waited.

            He didn’t have to wait long. As soon as Evy walked through the door from school, he started to greet her like normal. But she was wiping her eyes. Sam put down what he was working on, then acted oblivious.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you okay?”

Evy set her backpack down and asked, “Can I talk to you? It’s important.”

“Of course you can.” Sam said. He pushed his laptop to the side and turned to her. “Come here.”

            Evy walked over and surprised Sam when she climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She still did that on occasion, but not nearly as much as she used to. _She’s feeling guilty. Really guilty._ Sam squeezed her tight, then waited. Evy pulled away from him, wiping her eyes again.

“Talk to me.” Sam said, moving a hand up and down her back.

Evy confessed tearily, “I lied to you.”

Sam nodded. “About what?”

“The trip.” Evy said. “It wasn’t for a grade. It was just for fun. I told you that so you’d let me go.”

 _Thank you_ , Sam thought. He really hadn’t looked forward to what would happen if she didn’t tell him the truth. “I see.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” She said, wiping her eyes again of a couple stray tears.

Sam sighed. “Baby, listen. I understand you wanted to go today. I get it, I do. But you can’t lie to me.”

Evy nodded sadly. “I know.”

“So why did you?” Sam asked.

“I didn’t want to be stuck by myself at school.” Evy said. “Or listen to everybody talk about it when they got back.”

“I get that. But you were grounded for a reason. You don’t get to do what you want when you’re being punished for something.” Sam explained calmly. “Even if that means you have to sit by yourself at school or listen to everyone else talk about the fun they had.”

“I know.” Evy said sadly.

“You know,” Sam said, “Dean and I were gonna take you next weekend. After they opened up.”

“You were?” Evy asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”   
“You didn’t give me a chance before you lied to me.” Sam said.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Evy asked.

Sam nodded. “Yep.”

“Why’d you let me do it?” Evy asked.

“So you could see what happens when you lie to me.” Sam said. “Doesn’t feel good, does it?”

Evy shook her head. “No.”

“You know the other reason it’s not good to lie to me?” Sam asked.

“Because it’s hard for you to trust me.” Evy said, and the tears started flowing in earnest. She laid her head against Sam’s chest and started crying. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

            Sam sighed and held Evy as she cried against his chest. He’d planned to come down hard on her for this, but clearly she was already feeling massively guilty. He reworked his plan as Evy calmed down. When she was finally calm enough to talk, she asked, without sitting up,

“Am I grounded again?”

 _Yes_ , Sam thought, but bit his tongue. “No.”

Surprised, Evy sat up and looked at him. “Really?”

“You’re not completely off the hook.” Sam said. “I’m keeping your bike another week.”

Evy nodded. “Okay.”

“You still have to write those lines I gave you last night.”   
“I did that.” Evy said.

“Do ‘em again.” Sam said. “And you have five hundred more. ‘I will not lie to Daddy about anything again.’”

Evy cringed a little, but didn’t complain; she’d never had to do a thousand lines before. “Okay.”

“You have any homework?”

“No.” Evy answered.

“Okay. I’m trusting you on that.” Sam said, and Evy squirmed in his lap. “That’s your homework.”

“So I can still come out tomorrow?” Evy asked.

“You can come out when you give me those lines.” Sam said. He knew he should extend her punishment, but her being grounded was as hard on him as it was on her. “You should get to work. You still have to go to bed early tonight. If you don’t finish tonight, you can work on them first thing in the morning and come out when you’re finished.”   
Evy smiled. “Thank you. I’m sorry I messed up so much lately.”

“You’re a kid. Messing up is your job.” Sam said. “We’ve all done it. Are you gonna lie to me again?”   
“No way.” Evy said. “It’s not worth it.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“I didn’t really have a good time today. I felt too bad about not telling you the truth.” Evy said.

“See? Nothing good comes out of lying.” Sam said. “One more thing. You lie to me again, I don’t care how bad you feel, it’s a minimum of two weeks in your room. Got it?”

“Got it. Thanks, Daddy.” Evy said.

“Go get started on your lines, baby. I’ll have dinner ready in a little while.” Sam said, patting her leg gently to send her along.

“Okay.” Evy said. Before she left, she had to check. “You still love me, right?”

It was Sam’s turn to wrap her into a hug. “More than anything.”

“Even when I mess up?”

“Even then, baby.” Sam said. “Even then.”

 


	6. Eleven Years Old

            Sam walked through the halls of the hospital, fighting to keep panic from setting in. The last time he’d been in this hospital, he’d stayed for nearly a month, and he’d made it a point to stay away since then. But after he’d gotten out of work at the book store, he’d realized he left his cell phone in his car. He hadn’t thought anything of it, until he checked his messages.

_4 missed calls-Linda Summers_

_3 messages-Linda Summers_

            Evy had been spending the day with Lily and Linda, so Sam’s brain went into overdrive as he dialed Linda back and waited for her to pick up. Was Evy hurt? Sick? What was going on? Linda was one of the few people Sam trusted unconditionally, outside of Dean. Anything to make Linda call him that much had to be bad. Sam made it to the desk and was just about to ask for Evy when he heard Linda call him.

“Sam!”

Sam turned around and saw Linda walking towards him. He was relieved she didn’t looked panicked. “Linda, what’s going on?”

“Sam, Evy’s fine. Listen, okay? Come here, sit down.”

Sam took the seat she offered, and asked again, “What happened, Linda? Where is she?”

“She’s in an exam room. The doctors already looked her over. She’s fine.” Linda repeated.

“What happened?” Sam asked again, somewhat impatiently.

“We went to the park. I got the girls some lunch. A bee got into Evy’s cup and stung her in the cheek. She had a bad reaction to it.”

“How bad?” Sam asked.

“The right side of her mouth is swollen pretty good, but other than that, she’ll be fine.” Linda said.

“Linda, where’s my baby?” Sam asked anxiously, unable to stand the wait anymore.

“Right this way.”  
            Linda led Sam down the hall. All the while, Sam’s mind flooded with memories. Bad memories. His heart filled with dread, even though Linda had assured him Evy was fine. They finally reached the room, and Sam saw Evy for the first time. He knew she’d hate it, but Sam’s mouth fell open and he stared at her for a few seconds. Linda’s assessment of “swollen pretty good”, at least to Sam, was putting it mildly. Her right cheek was so swollen that Sam was amazed she was still breathing with as little difficulty as she was. The skin around her mouth was red. Linda said something to Evy, who looked in the doorway and saw him standing there. Her face lit up with a smile, which was only half visible underneath her swollen mouth. She waved at him, and Sam was broken out of his reverie.

“Oh, baby.” He said, walking in and wrapping her in a hug. Evy groaned and pushed away from him. Concerned, Sam asked, “What’s wrong?”

By way of explanation, Evy pointed apologetically at her mouth. _It hurts, Daddy,_ Sam read in her expression.

Sam realized he had accidentally touched the swollen part of her mouth. “Sorry. Can you talk?” Sam asked.

Evy put her thumb and forefinger together. _A little._

“Okay, don’t worry about it.” Sam said.

“Sam? Do you want us to stay?” Linda asked.

Sam had forgotten Linda was even in the room. He turned and said, “No. Thanks, Linda. Sorry it took so long to get ahold of me. Thanks for staying with her.”

“No problem.” Linda said. “You’d do the same for me.”

Sam smiled and nodded. “You bet.”

“Mom!” Lily spoke for the first time since Sam had entered the room. “I don’t want to leave her. She’s hurt.”

Linda started to respond, but Evy reached over and grabbed Lily’s shoulder. Evy grabbed the small notepad that was on the bed and the pen that was on top of it. _I’m okay. My daddy’s here now. I’ll be fine_ _._ Sam saw what she’d written and felt like his heart stopped in his chest. He hadn’t been here when she needed him, and he couldn’t forgive himself for that. When he thought about how scared she must have been, the fact that she was probably crying when it happened, and that she was probably wondering where her Daddy was and why he wasn’t there; all that made Sam wish he could jump in a time machine and go back twelve hours.

“You sure?” Lily said.

Evy nodded and wrote _Come see me tomorrow?_

“You bet we will.” Linda said. “If it’s all right with your dad…”

“If she’s up to it. That’d be great.” Sam said.

“Okay. Get better, sweetie.” Linda said.

Evy nodded and tried to smile again; she wanted to say thanks but it was too hard.

As Lily said goodbye to Evy, Linda turned back to Sam. “The doctor ran a couple tests. He should be back soon. He said he didn’t think she’d have to stay overnight, but they wanted to make sure she’d be okay to go home before they released her.”

“Okay. Thanks again, Linda. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Sam said gratefully.

“Sure thing.” Linda said. “Did you call Dean?”   
“Yeah, he was on a tow. I told him I’d call him when I got here to tell him if he needed to get off work.”

“I’ll call him from my car.” Linda said. “Go sit with Evy.”

“I will. Have a good night.”

“You too. As good as you can, anyway.” Linda said. She looked over at the two girls. “Lily, let’s go, baby.”

“Coming, mom.” Lily said. She came over and joined her mother. “Bye, uncle Sammy.”

“Bye, Lily. Thank you for staying with Evy today.”

“You’re welcome.” Lily said with a smile.

            When Lily and Linda were gone, Sam looked at Evy again. She was trying to be cheerful, but he could tell she felt miserable. Sam walked towards the bed and gave her a gentler hug than the first one, making sure to avoid her mouth.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here earlier, baby.”

Sam felt two fingers gently poking his side. He turned to look at her and saw she was pointing at the notepad she’d written on. She was pointing at the message she wrote to Lily earlier. _I’m okay. My daddy’s here now. I’ll be fine._ Sam couldn’t believe that she was trying to make him feel better when she was the one hurting. Before he could comment on it, an unfamiliar voice entered the room. It belonged to a male doctor that looked to be around the same age as Sam.

“Hi there! Are you Mr. Winchester?”

“Yeah. And you are….?” Sam asked.

“I’m Dr. Miller.” He said, shaking Sam’s hand. “I need to ask Evy a few questions, then I want to tell you the plan for treating her. Sound good?”

“Sure.” Sam said.

Dr. Miller took a chair on the other side of the room and set it down in front of the exam room bed. “How you doing, Evy?”

 Evy waved one hand back and forth. _So-so._

“Okay, earlier when I asked you about it, you said the pain in your mouth was at a six. Has that changed any?”  

Evy held up three fingers.

“Three? So the pain’s going down?” Dr. Miller asked.

Evy nodded.

“That’s good.” He pulled out Evy’s chart and opened it. “So here’s the deal. I know it looks scary, but I don’t think you had an allergic reaction to the bee sting. You had what’s called a severe localized reaction. Which basically means that you look like you went ten rounds with the bee, but the swelling will eventually go down. I’ll give your dad a couple mild prescriptions to help it along a little faster, but it’ll be at least a few days.” Dr. Miller waited a few seconds to let the information sink in, then asked, “How does your mouth feel right now? Overall? It’s okay to use the pad if you need to.”

 _Like I tried to swallow a baseball and it got stuck,_ Evy wrote.

Dr. Miller chuckled. “That’s the most vivid description I’ve ever heard. Is there anything else I should know? Are you hurting anywhere else?”

 _Just feel a little embarrassed_. Evy wrote.

“Embarrassed? Because you got stung in the mouth?” When Evy nodded, Dr. Miller said, “Would it make you feel better if I told you that you’re not the first time I’ve seen this?”

_Really?_

“Really.” Dr. Miller assured her. “It happens at least a few times a year. Can I give you a tip, though?” Evy nodded, and Dr. Miller said seriously, “Make sure you always keep a lid on your paper cups, okay?”

Evy nodded. _Can I go home?_

“Not quite yet.” Dr. Miller said.

“I thought you said she was okay.” Sam said, alarmed.

“She is. I just want to keep her here for observation for a few hours. Make sure the swelling doesn’t get worse. If she checks out in four hours, I’ll release her.” Dr. Miller said. “Sorry, sweetie, I know that sounds boring, but I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Evy nodded.

“I’m gonna get a nurse to bring you a painkiller and some Benadryl in a minute. Do you think you can take a pill?” Dr. Miller asked. Evy shook her head forcefully. “Okay. That means it’ll have to be two shots. Are you scared of needles?”

Evy frowned, but grabbed Sam’s hand and held it tight.

“All right. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Dr. Miller stood up and put the chair back where it was. “I need you to promise me something. After you leave here, if you feel like your swelling’s getting worse, or you start hurting more, you’ll tell your dad right away. Don’t wait. I don’t want to scare you, but if the swelling gets worse, it could block your airway and make it hard to breathe. Do you understand?”

Evy nodded. _Promise._ She wrote on the notepad.

“Okay. I’ll be back.”

Dr. Miller left, and Evy turned to Sam. _Not feeling good_ , she wrote.

“Oh, baby, I know.” Sam said. He hopped on the exam bed with her and kissed her non-swollen cheek. “Daddy’s right here. I’ll be right here till it’s time to go home.”

 _Do I have to go to school like this?_ Evy wrote.

“Not until the swelling goes down.” Sam said. “You just worry about getting better.”

Evy smiled in relief. _Uncle Dean coming?_

“He gets off work in a little bit. He’ll be here then. You want me to try and get him to come sooner?” Sam asked.

            The nurse that Dr. Miller had told them about came in before Evy could answer. Evy was not happy with the shots, but grabbed Sam’s arm and held on the whole time. Sam asked if she was hungry, but Evy again said no. She started getting sleepy a few minutes later.

_You stay here with me?_

Sam smiled; there was no way he was leaving now. He still felt guilty about not coming earlier. He gave Evy another gentle hug, and helped her lay down on the bed. When she was settled, Sam pulled off his jacket and laid it on top of her. She was so tiny compared to Sam that his jacket covered her like a blanket. Sam grabbed the stool Dr. Miller had been using, set it down next to the bed, and grabbed Evy’s hand.

“Get some sleep. I’ll be right here.” Sam promised. “I’m not going anywhere.”


	7. Twelve Years Old

**In this chapter, Sam and Evy confront the driver of the car that hit them when Evy was eight years old. The original incident takes place in New Life, New Family in chapters 12, 13, and 14.**

“Okay, girls. You can each pick a snack and a drink.”   
“Thanks, Daddy!” and “Thanks, uncle Sammy!” both girls answered at the same time.

            Sam smiled and looked around for a couple of other things he had stopped for. Linda was outside, filling the Impala with gas. Dean was using the gas station restroom around the corner. Linda and Dean had spent the better part of fifty miles arguing over the best rock bands and songs. The three adults and two kids had spent the weekend camping, and were on their way home. The cashier, a twenty-five or twenty-six year old kid by Sam’s judgment, put down the book he was reading and waited patiently for them to come up. Lily came up to Sam with a large bag of cheese popcorn.

“Uncle Sammy, can Evy and me share this?”

Sam looked at the bag and nodded his approval. “Sure. Go wait for me at the front.” Sam picked up a couple more items, among them some fruit and the beer Dean had asked him to get. He found both girls waiting for him at the counter. “You two ready?”

“We’re ready!” they both said together.

“Okay. Go back to the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”

            Both girls walked out. Sam grinned when he saw they were holding hands. The cashier greeted him. He pulled out his wallet and watched as the cashier rang up all the items. Sam was a bit surprised when he was carded for the beer, but didn’t argue, just handed over his ID. The cashier checked it, then Sam noticed that his face fell. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Sam asked,

“Is something wrong? I’ve been buying beer for quite a few years now.”   
“Sorry.” The cashier said. “It’s just, um….you’re Sam Winchester.”

“Yeah…Do I know you?”

“No. But I met your brother Dean a few years ago.” He handed Sam his credit card back and explained, “My name’s Jason. Jason Kensington.”

It took Sam a minute to realize who was in front of him, but when he did, he had to restrain himself. “You’re the one who…”   
“Yeah. That was me.” Jason said.

“You’re out of jail.” Sam said, and let out a humorless laugh.

“Yeah. I got out after nine months.” Jason explained. “Can I say something?”

Sam nearly exploded. “What could you possibly say to me? About _that?_ Do you know how badly she was hurt? What you almost did to our family?”

“Your brother told me.” Jason said.

But Sam was nowhere near done. “I still have nightmares about her screaming in the backseat of that car. She was unconscious for three days. She was in the hospital for a month. She had a cast on for two. She had nightmares for nine. Social services took her from me and her uncle and we almost lost her. What could you possibly say about all that?”

“I can’t.” Jason said. “There’s nothing I can say. All I can tell you is that what I did to you guys is the worst mistake I ever made in my life. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. And I know this is a lot to ask, but if you’d let me, I’d really like to apologize to her.”

“No. No way.” Sam said.

Sam snatched the bag from the counter and walked outside. He made it in record time to the Impala. Dean, for once, was allowing him to drive, so Dean sat in the front passenger seat, while Linda sat in the back, between the two girls. Linda was whispering and the girls were giggling about something. The giggling abruptly stopped when Sam slammed the door and threw the three bags onto the seat between him and Dean.

“Sam? What’s wrong?” Linda asked.

Sam took a deep breath and laid both arms on the steering wheel.

“Daddy?” Evy said from the seat behind him. “Are you okay?”

Sam turned around and talked to Dean first. “I’m going to talk to Evy in a second. Whatever she decides to do, Dean, _stay. In. the. Car._ ”

“Sam? What the hell?”

“Dean, just promise me you’ll stay in the car.” Sam said.

“Okay. Fine.” Dean said.

Sam was doubtful, but turned to Evy. “Did you talk to the cashier inside?”

“A little.” Evy said. “He said hi and I told him hi back. Why?”

“He was driving the car that hit us when you were eight.” Sam told her.

As Evy processed the information, Dean already had his hand on the door handle. “Oh, hell no.”   
“Dean!” Sam said, just barely avoiding shouting. “I told you. This is Evy’s choice. Stay in the car.”   
“What’s my choice?” Evy asked.   
“He wants to talk to you. He wants to apologize.” Sam explained. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. It’s completely up to you.”

Evy thought for a minute. “I’ll go.”

“Okay. Come on. I’ll go with you.” Sam said.

            Dean was fuming, but said nothing as Sam and Evy got out of the car and walked back towards the store. When they reached the front door, Evy grabbed Sam’s hand and squeezed it. When they walked inside, Jason put the book down again that he was reading and approached Evy. He was a little nervous Sam would deck him, so he went slowly and carefully. A couple feet away from Evy, Jason crouched on his knees so that he was eye level with her.

“Hi, sweetie. I’m Jason. Did your dad tell you who I was?”   
“Yeah.” Evy said quietly.

Jason swallowed; to be face to face with the little girl that his drug use had almost killed made him wish he could crawl away and forget everything. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know that doesn’t mean a lot with everything you went through, but I am so sorry I hurt you.”

“Why didn’t you help us?” Evy asked. “Why’d you run? My daddy was hurt too and I couldn’t move. If someone else hadn’t seen us, we would have been stuck there in the snow. Why didn’t you help us?”

“Because I was selfish and I was only thinking of myself.” Jason said. “But every day that I was in jail, and every day since, I’ve thought about you. I wondered if you were okay. I’m glad you are.”

 _No thanks to you_ , Sam couldn’t help but think, but he bit his tongue.

“My daddy said you shouldn’t have been driving that night and you knew it. Was that true?”

“Yes.” Jason admitted. “Yes, I knew it. I was using drugs back then. A lot of them. But I’ve stopped. I haven’t hurt anyone else since, and I swear to you I never will again. Can you forgive me?”

            Evy thought about what he was asking. She remembered all too well the accident, her long and painful recovery, being taken from Sam and Dean a few weeks later. But Jason seemed like he understood what he’d done, and he seemed like he was really sorry about it. She could tell he felt bad, and that he meant what he said about not hurting anyone else. She believed that everyone deserved a second chance, so she decided to give him his.

“I forgive you. As long as you promise you won’t hurt anyone else like you did me and my daddy.”

“I swear, honey. That will never happen again.” Jason said with a relieved smile. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Let’s go, Cricket.” Sam said, shaking Evy’s hand gently.

“Okay.” Evy said. She turned back to Jason and waved. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

            Jason stood up and watched them leave. His heart felt lighter than it had in years. Back at the Impala, Sam opened Evy’s door for her and waited for her to climb inside. He crouched down beside her with tears in his eyes. His mind had been sending flashbacks of that awful night ever since Jason had revealed who he was, and all he felt in his heart was anger and rage for hurting his baby girl. But Evy was apparently stronger than him. She smiled and touched his cheek, where Sam let go of one tear. He took her hand and kissed it, then pushed some hair back from her face.

“I’m proud of you, my brave little soul.”

“Love you, Daddy.” Evy said simply. They shared a hug and drove off, back towards home.


	8. Thirteen Years Old

Sam pulled up to Evy’s school, worried. She had just started here two weeks ago, and she hadn’t had any complaints about it so far. As Sam parked the car, he tried not to feel guilty when he realized that he may not really know if she was having problems at school. Things were tense at home between him and Dean. They did their best to hide it from Evy, but she was a smart kid.  Sam had spent the majority of his time since they’d moved job hunting. They’d moved to this town in the first place because Dean had followed a lead on a job for himself after they’d both lost theirs back in Kansas several months earlier. When they’d gotten to town and found that Dean’s job had fallen through because he hadn’t officially called and accepted it, it had led to a big fight between Sam and Dean. Ever since, Evy had been quieter than normal. Sam had tried to reassure her that things would be okay, and he hoped he was telling the truth.

            Sam parked the car and ran into the school. He had made sure to make time to visit the school before Evy started, and he could pat himself on the back for that now. He went straight to the nurse’s office, located directly beside the front office. Evy was lying down on the exam table. She had a hand to her stomach and looked pale. The nurse spotted Sam at the door.

“Mr. Winchester?”   
“Yes?” Sam said.

“Hi. I’m nurse McElwain.”

“Hi.” Sam turned to Evy. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Evy said, though Sam was not even remotely convinced.

“Mr. Winchester, can I talk to you outside, please?” Nurse McElwain asked. “Evy’ll be fine.”

“What’s going on? Is she sick?”   
“In the hallway. Please.” Nurse McElwain insisted. She turned to Evy. “You rest for a few minutes while I go talk to your dad, okay?”   
“Okay. Thank you.” Evy said.

“You’re welcome, sweetie.”

Once Sam stepped into the hallway, he impatiently asked, “Would you please tell me what’s wrong with her?”

“Sorry, Mr. Winchester. I didn’t mean to scare you. Evy just needs a minute to catch her breath. She’s fine. She started her period today.”

Sam had not been expecting that. “She what?”

“Her stomach was hurting in class. She excused herself to the bathroom, and she realized that she was starting her period. She came here, and that’s when I called you.”

“Oh.” Sam said, relieved it wasn’t something more serious.

“I’ve already talked to her, showed her what to do. I gave her a few pads to make it through the next couple days, but you might want to take her to the drug store and get her a few supplies.” Nurse McElwain said gently.

“Sure. Thanks.” Sam said. “Sorry I was kind of short with you earlier.”  
“It’s totally fine. I understand. You’re worried. But she’ll be just fine.”

“You said her stomach was hurting. Is it bad?” Sam asked. “Should I get her some kind of medicine for it?”

“Midol works great for me, but that might be a little intense for her. Just try Advil or Tylenol for the pain. A heating pad helps too.”   
“Thanks.” Sam said. “I guess I should take her home.”

“Do you have any other questions for me?” Nurse McElwain asked. “I know it can be a little intimidating sometimes for fathers to deal with this…”   
“Thanks, but I used to help my girlfriend when this happened. I think I’m pretty prepared.” Sam said.

“Okay. I’ve got Evy’s backpack in the office.” Nurse McElwain said.

As Sam walked back inside, his mind flashed to years earlier, when this had happened the first time.

_Sam walked inside the apartment and practically threw his backpack onto the bed. He didn’t see or hear Evy or Jess, which was frustrating since the apartment wasn’t that big. He’d gotten a voicemail from Jess when he stepped out of class. Evy was sick and Jess had picked her up. Sam finally found Jess when she came quietly out of Evy’s room._

_“What’s going on? Is she okay?”_

_“Relax. She’s fine. She’s asleep.” Jess said. “Come here.”_

_Jess led a very anxious Sam into the kitchen. “Jess, what’s going on?”_

_“Sam, I’m going to tell you. But you have to promise not to freak out.” Jess said._

_“Freak out?” Sam asked._

_“Yes. You cannot make a big deal about this when Evy wakes up. Okay? Promise me.” Jess said. Sam nodded, and she finally told him. “She started her period today.”_

Evy sat up when Sam walked in the room. “Hey, Daddy.”   
“Hey. How you feeling?” Sam asked.

“Better.” Evy said. “Can we go home?”

“You bet. Come on.”

            Evy picked up her backpack and walked out with Sam. They stopped at the drugstore on the way home, and Evy went almost straight to sleep. While she was asleep, Sam got a call from one of the law offices he’d applied to. He was offered a job as a paralegal, with the promise to be hired as a junior associate when the spot became available. The relief he felt was in direct contrast to how Evy felt when she woke up two hours later. Sam was sitting on the couch, reading a novel and relaxed for the first time in months.

“Daddy?”  
“Hey.” Sam said. He put the book down beside him. “How you feeling?”

Evy came to him and laid her head down in Sam’s lap. Sam could hardly believe he was doing this again. The first time, he’d had Jess’s help. Dean was around this time, but Sam was sure that Dean would rather deal with a ghost or werewolf. Sam did his best to comfort her, stroking her hair and just letting her sit in silence for a few minutes, before asking her again.

“You feeling okay?”   
“Just tired.” Evy answered.

“I know.” Sam said.   
“Is it gonna be like this every time?” Evy asked.

Sam smiled. “Afraid so, baby. But it shouldn’t last too long. Couple days, maybe.” When Evy groaned, Sam said, “Don’t worry. I talked to your school nurse and she gave me a few tips to help you feel better.”

“You seem happier.” Evy said.

“I am. I finally got a job.” Sam said.

“Where?” Evy asked. When Sam described it, Evy smiled. “Cool.”   
“Yeah, it is cool.” Sam said.

“Does this mean you guys will stop fighting so much now?”   
What had been relief and happiness was replaced with guilt. “I take it that means we weren’t as quiet as we tried to be.”   
Evy shook her head. “No. I didn’t hear you guys actually fighting. But you haven’t really talked to each other since we moved here. You always look like you’re mad at each other.”

“Sorry, Cricket. It’s just been a tough few months for all of us. But we’ll work on it.” Sam said. “You got any homework?”

“A little. Can I do it in the morning?” Evy asked.

It was Friday, and his rule with weekend homework was to do it on Friday night. But Sam could tell she felt bad, so he decided to make an exception. He gave a dramatic sigh and pretended to think it over, before saying,

“Sure, baby. Why don’t you go get a shower and get into your PJs? It’ll help you feel better.”

“It’s not even two in the afternoon!” Evy protested. “I don’t want to go back to bed!”

“Did I say anything about going to bed?” Sam said. “Get your PJs on, and we’ll watch a movie or something.”

“Okay, Daddy. Thanks.” Evy said. She sat up and hugged his neck. “Love you.”

“Love you too, baby.” Sam said. When Evy walked off towards the bathroom, Sam’s mind went back to his Stanford days, where he’d dealt with this the first time.

            _Evy crawled out of bed and walked into the front room, where Sam and Jess were both sitting on their bed. Sam noticed her first, and wanted to get up and grab her in a hug. But he’d promised Jess he wouldn’t make a big deal about it, even though to him it was a very big deal. Evy climbed on the bed with them, in between Sam and Jess. She didn’t say anything as she put both arms around Sam’s waist. Sam did the same, and for a few seconds, neither of them said anything._

_“How you feeling?” Sam asked, when he noticed that she was close to falling asleep again._

_“Okay.” Evy said._

_Sam could hear in her voice how tired she was. “Your stomach still hurt?”_

_“No.” Evy answered._

_Sam squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”_

_Evy squeezed him back. “Love you too, Sammy.”_

            It was a lazy day around the house after that. Sam and Evy watched a movie, Sam’s mind turning the whole time. Sam had been planning to tell her about the hours his new job would require, but decided to wait until she felt better. He didn’t start his job for another week, and she was miserable enough without him possibly upsetting her. As she went to bed that night, Sam got another surprise.

“Will you come tuck me in?”

Sam, who hadn’t tucked her in for over three years, almost cried. He’d spent all day worrying about whether or not he was losing his little girl, but her innocent question showed him that his worry was silly.

“Sure, baby.” He walked with her to her room, put her in her bed, and pulled her cover over her. “Good night. I love you.”

“Love you too, Daddy.”


	9. Fourteen Years Old

**A/N: Evy’s first day of high school.**

“You got everything, kiddo?”

“Yeah.” Evy said quietly.

Dean stopped when she answered him. “You okay?”

Evy nodded, but she wouldn’t look at Dean.

“Hey.” Dean said, joining her on the couch. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Kiddo. Look at me.” Dean said. Evy looked up and Dean repeated, “What’s up with you?”

“I’m scared.” “Scared of what?” Dean asked, even though he knew.

“High school.” Evy said.

Dean fought a smile; he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he’d guessed exactly what was wrong with her. “What scares you?”

“Everything.”

“Kiddo,” Dean said, “you will be fine. I promise. Just do the best you can and stick up for yourself if you need to. Okay?”

“You really think I’ll be okay?” Evy asked.

“I know you will.” Dean said. “You want me to drive you?”

“No. I’ll be brave.” Evy said, reaching over and hugging Dean’s neck. “Thanks, uncle Deanie.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo.” Dean said. “Was that all that was bothering you?”

Evy frowned. “No. I was hoping Daddy would be here too.” “Oh, kiddo, you know he wanted to be, but he had to work.” Dean said, trying to console her.

“You sure about that?”

Evy turned around and saw Sam standing in the doorway. He put his briefcase down next to the door. Evy’s face lit up in a smile and she jumped up and ran to him.

“Daddy! You made it!”

“Of course I did. I promised you I’d be here, didn’t I?” Sam asked.

 “You don’t have to go to work?” Evy asked.

“I’ve got an hour and a half. We can get a quick breakfast and I can drop you off.” “Okay! Let’s go!” Evy said, turning to get her backpack.

“I thought you said ‘I’ll be brave’.” Dean said.

“I will be. Tomorrow.” Evy said, making Dean laugh. When she put her backpack on her shoulder, she asked, “Uncle Deanie, will you come with us?”

“I can’t kiddo. Got to get to the garage. Have a good day, okay?” Dean said. “Tell me about it tonight.” “I will. Love you, uncle Deanie.” “Love you more, kiddo.” D

**A/N: Evy’s first day of high school.**

“You got everything, kiddo?”

“Yeah.” Evy said quietly.

Dean stopped when she answered him. “You okay?”

Evy nodded, but she wouldn’t look at Dean.

“Hey.” Dean said, joining her on the couch. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Kiddo. Look at me.” Dean said. Evy looked up and Dean repeated, “What’s up with you?”

“I’m scared.” “Scared of what?” Dean asked, even though he knew.

“High school.” Evy said.

Dean fought a smile; he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he’d guessed exactly what was wrong with her. “What scares you?”

“Everything.”

“Kiddo,” Dean said, “you will be fine. I promise. Just do the best you can and stick up for yourself if you need to. Okay?”

“You really think I’ll be okay?” Evy asked.

“I know you will.” Dean said. “You want me to drive you?”

“No. I’ll be brave.” Evy said, reaching over and hugging Dean’s neck. “Thanks, uncle Deanie.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo.” Dean said. “Was that all that was bothering you?”

Evy frowned. “No. I was hoping Daddy would be here too.” “Oh, kiddo, you know he wanted to be, but he had to work.” Dean said, trying to console her.

“You sure about that?”

Evy turned around and saw Sam standing in the doorway. He put his briefcase down next to the door. Evy’s face lit up in a smile and she jumped up and ran to him.

“Daddy! You made it!”

“Of course I did. I promised you I’d be here, didn’t I?” Sam asked.

 “You don’t have to go to work?” Evy asked.

“I’ve got an hour and a half. We can get a quick breakfast and I can drop you off.” “Okay! Let’s go!” Evy said, turning to get her backpack.

“I thought you said ‘I’ll be brave’.” Dean said.

“I will be. Tomorrow.” Evy said, making Dean laugh. When she put her backpack on her shoulder, she asked, “Uncle Deanie, will you come with us?”

“I can’t kiddo. Got to get to the garage. Have a good day, okay?” Dean said. “Tell me about it tonight.” “I will. Love you, uncle Deanie.” “Love you more, kiddo.” Dean said, walking out to the Impala.

Evy turned back to Sam. “Thank you for coming back.” “You’re welcome, baby.” Sam said. “You know I won’t be able to do this much.” He reminded her sadly.

“I know. Let’s go do it today though.” The two of them left, spent a few minutes together, and Sam drove her to the front of the school.

“You gonna be okay? You feel better about this?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. Thanks, Daddy.” Evy said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?” “’Kay. Bye!” Evy said as she opened the door and started to step out.

“Love you.”

“Love you more.” Evy said as she slammed the door shut.

            Sam watched her go inside the building, wishing he could climb into a time machine and go back a few years. He started the car and headed back to work, thinking about Evy at various stages of her life. When he pulled into his parking space, a slightly disturbing thought occurred to Sam. _You’re the father of a high school girl now._ The thought made him groan, and suddenly he felt as nervous as Evy had that morning. He took a deep breath and thought _Love you, baby. Be safe,_ as he headed back to his desk.

ean said, walking out to the Impala.

Evy turned back to Sam. “Thank you for coming back.” “You’re welcome, baby.” Sam said. “You know I won’t be able to do this much.” He reminded her sadly.

“I know. Let’s go do it today though.” The two of them left, spent a few minutes together, and Sam drove her to the front of the school.

“You gonna be okay? You feel better about this?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. Thanks, Daddy.” Evy said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?” “’Kay. Bye!” Evy said as she opened the door and started to step out.

“Love you.”

“Love you more.” Evy said as she slammed the door shut.

            Sam watched her go inside the building, wishing he could climb into a time machine and go back a few years. He started the car and headed back to work, thinking about Evy at various stages of her life. When he pulled into his parking space, a slightly disturbing thought occurred to Sam. _You’re the father of a high school girl now._ The thought made him groan, and suddenly he felt as nervous as Evy had that morning. He took a deep breath and thought _Love you, baby. Be safe,_ as he headed back to his desk.


	10. Fifteen Years Old

**A/N: This chapter’s a little different, as it focuses more on Sam than Evy. Evy needs oral surgery, and Sam is worried about how to pay for it. When he gets thrown a lifeline, he realizes he needs to make a change in his life.**

**This chapter takes place right before the events of New Life, New Family, Chapter 22, The Parent Trap.**

“Sam?”

Sam was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear anything.

“Sam!”

Sam jumped but relaxed when he saw his boss standing in the doorway.

“Oh, hey, Sarah. Sorry, got my mind somewhere else right now.” “I saw that. Are you okay?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah. It’s just…” Sam trailed off, the bill in front of him making his stomach twist in knots again.

“Sam? What is it?”

Sam sighed. “I need a huge favor.”

“Okay. What is it?”

“Evy needs a couple teeth pulled. This bill is…I need help. I was wondering if I could get an advance on my pay for it.” Sam asked.

Sarah eyed Sam carefully. “No.”

Sam nodded, disappointed and back to the clawing worry he was feeling before. He’d known that the advance was a lot to hope for, but he felt he’d had to ask. The surgery was necessary. He had caught Evy crying because her teeth were hurting so badly. She could barely eat or talk. He’d do whatever he had to, but right now he had no idea what exactly that would be. He started to say ‘thanks, anyway’, until Sarah said something that blew Sam away.

“But what I can do,” Sarah said, walking inside as Sam looked up, “is cover the bill for you until you get the reimbursement check back from the dental plan that got added to everyone’s benefits today.”

Stunned, Sam asked, “What?”

Sarah smiled. “Yeah. I was going to tell everyone tomorrow. It’s supposed to not start until next week, but give me a copy of the bill and I’ll make sure it’s covered.”

“I can’t ask you to do that…” Sam said.

“Sam, stop. Listen to me for a second, okay?” Sarah said. “Look, I was a single mom for a long time. I remember the days of wondering whether I was going to be able to pay for something he needed for school or a field trip or even our next meal. I remember that and when I think about it, I thank God every day I’m not in that position anymore. But the reason I did get through it is that when I did need help, really need it, they didn’t let me be too proud to accept it. Now, this is not a gift, it’s a loan. This is a reimbursement plan, so I’ll give you a check before you leave to cover the dentist’s bill. It’ll take about four weeks to get paid back. When you get the reimbursement check, just hand it over to me, and we’re square. Deal?”

“Deal.” Sam said. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad to do it, Sam. I mean that.” Sarah said. “I know it’s hard seeing your kid in pain. Go take care of her.”

“I will.” Sam checked the clock and realized he had another few minutes before he had to leave. “Did you need me for something?” “Nothing that can’t wait.” Sarah said. “Go take care of Evy.”

“Thanks.” Sam said again, his heart much lighter than it had been. “I’ll be back in the morning.” “No, you won’t.” Sarah said. “Stay home with Evy until she recovers.”

Sam smiled.

“And Sam? Don’t let this job be more important than she is. You’re the best paralegal I’ve ever had. This job’ll be here for you as long as you want it. Evy’ll be gone out of the house before you know it.  Take the time you need with your kid.”

“I’ll remember that. Thanks, Sarah.”             Sam left the office, picked up Evy, and took her to her appointment. She was a little scared at having to go under for surgery, but Sam took her hand and sang to her, grateful he was able to concentrate on making her feel better instead of how in the world he’d be able to pay for this. He thought about what Sarah had said. _Evy’ll be gone out of the house before you know it. Take the time you need with your kid._ Evy was fifteen. In two years, she’d be knee deep in college searches, and a year after that, she was likely to be living away from home. With Dean working more hours at the garage, Sam realized there was no need to keep working so much. He felt guilty about it, especially with the help Sarah had given him that day, but he had a feeling that she would understand. Evy came through surgery fine, and as he helped her into bed that night, he made his decision. He rubbed the stomach of a very worried Squish, who was curled up next to Evy’s feet, then kissed Evy’s hand.

“Daddy’s coming back home, baby. I love you. Goodnight.”

            Sam had his conversation with Sarah when he returned to work, who walked him through the process of changing from full-time to part-time. He had to fill out a couple of forms and turn them in, and then he was down from working six days to three. Sarah explained to him the loss in his benefits (half the paid vacation time of a full-time employee and less sick days), but everything else remained the same. Once business was over and Sam caught her up on how Evy was doing, Sarah told him,

“You did the right thing, Sam. You won’t regret it.”

            Later that day, as Sam turned in the paperwork, he couldn’t help but take notice of the woman behind the desk. She was stunning-long, curly, perfectly kept black hair; brown eyes; and a smile that seemed to be permanent. He waited for her to hang up the phone, unintentionally staring the whole time.

“Can I help you?” She asked as the phone went into the receiver.

“Um, yes.” Sam said. “I need to turn these in.”

The woman took the forms from him and nodded. “Okay. I’ll process them for you. They become effective at the end of the week.” “Thanks.” Sam said, turning to leave. He decided to take a chance and turned back around. “I’m Sam, by the way.”

"Hi, Sam. I'm Meredith." 


	11. Sixteen Years Old

**A/N: To keep the K rating of this story, I don’t mention what exactly it is referring to when I write ‘something else coach Evans had taken from her’. If you have not read New Life, New Family, this chapter may not make a lot of sense to you. Chapters 23-26 in New Life, New Family cover the original story of this chapter. Evy goes to her junior prom.**

Evy checked her phone, feeling left out yet again. She hadn’t been to school in three weeks, and tonight was her junior prom. But Evy wasn’t going. She couldn’t face her classmates, her teachers, and the place where it had happened. But seeing the photos of her friends, dressed up and looking happy and excited, made her feel she was missing out on something important. Something else that coach Evans had taken from her.

            A knock at the front door surprised her. Before she got up, Dean answered the door and let in Jordan. Evy and Jordan’s friend Katie followed behind him. Jordan was dressed in a simple black suit and tie with a white shirt. Katie was in Evy smiled and rubbed Squish’s ears as she took in Jordan’s unusual attire.

“Look at you!” she said. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“You are.” Jordan said. “Come on, get up.”

“What are you talking about?” Evy asked.

“Get up.” Jordan said, grabbing her arm and pulling impatiently.

“Here you go, Jordan.” Sam said, walking in from his room and handing Jordan a large black bag.

“What are you two up to?” Evy asked, as Jordan was thanking Sam for the bag.

Jordan handed the bag to Evy. “Get dressed.”

“I am dressed, geek. Now what’s going on?” Evy said.

“You’re going to prom with us.” Katie said.

Evy shook her head. “No.”

“Ev, look at me.” Jordan grabbed Evy’s shoulders, and waited until she was looking him in the eye. “Trust me. Okay?”

“I can’t do this. I don’t want to be there…” “Stop.” Jordan said. “Look at me. We are not taking you to school. Just trust us, okay?”

Evy felt her heart beating hard inside her chest. She didn’t want to do this. The school prom was held in the gym, and Evy didn’t want to face the place coach Evans had hurt her. She knew he wasn’t allowed to come to prom, as he was suspended from school now, but she didn’t want to take the chance that he would break the protective order and show up just to spite her.

“Ev? I promise, we are not going to school. Please, just get dressed. Let Katie do your hair. We’ve got a surprise for you.”

Evy looked to Sam and Dean, both of whom were nodding in agreement.

“I know what the surprise is, baby. It’ll be okay.” Sam said. “No one will make you go, but I promise you’ll love it.”

“Fine.” Evy said, taking the bag from Jordan and walking back to her room.

            Half an hour later, Evy walked back into the living room and took away the breath of all three men in the room. The dress was a simple, flowing, pink flower print dress, one that flowed nearly to her ankles. Katie had curled her hair into tight curls. For the first time in over a month, she was genuinely smiling. Not a forced smile, one that Sam could tell was meant to make him or someone else feel better, but a real, honest smile.

“You look beautiful, baby.” Sam said.

“Thanks, Daddy.” Evy said, grabbing his neck in a hug.

“You ready?” Jordan asked.

“I guess.” Evy said. She was still a little skeptical but decided to trust everyone.

“Hold it!” Sam said. He grabbed his camera and took a few photos of them. “One more.” He said after his tenth picture.

“Daddy, we gotta go!” Evy laughed.

“One more, please. I promise that’s it.”

“Only if it’s with you and uncle Dean.”

Sam smiled and handed the camera to Jordan. Evy shared another hug and kiss with both of them, then headed out the door. After some lighthearted teasing about being overprotective, Dean went to bed. Sam waited up for her, hoping she was having a good time. Jordan had come to him a week earlier, with a plan that at first seemed ridiculous. But Jordan had pulled it off. He’d managed to rent the ballroom at the local hotel and get the majority of the student body to have their own prom there, rather than attend at school. He’d also gotten parents to attend to chaperone, Sam’s only condition when he was presented with the plan. Around midnight that night, the door opened, and Evy stepped in laughing.

“Hey, baby. Did you…” Before Sam could get out ‘have fun?’, Evy joined him on the couch and grabbed his neck in a hug.

“Thank you.” She said. “Jordan told me you helped him.” “You’re welcome, baby.” Sam said. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes!” Evy said emphatically.

            For the first time in what felt to Sam like forever, Evy talked. She told Sam about her night, dancing and having fun with her friends, and she didn’t stop talking until she was out of breath. It was almost half past twelve when she leaned back against the couch cushion, exhausted but still smiling.

“I’m glad you had a good time.” Sam said sincerely.

“Yeah.” Evy said. “I thought that was over.”

“Are you still having bad dreams?”

“Sometimes.” Evy said quietly.

“Do you want me to still sleep next to your bed?”

Evy smiled. “You’re gonna do it anyway even if I say no, aren’t you?”

“Probably.” Sam conceded, chuckling. “Did you know I was still doing it?”

Evy nodded. “Yep.” Evy leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Good night, Daddy. I’m going to bed.”

“Good night, baby.” Sam said.

            Just like Evy had said, Sam did wait until she was asleep, then went into her room, took Evy’s saucer chair and got next to her bed. He kissed her cheek, brushed away her hair from her face, and felt a foreign sense of calm when he saw that she was smiling. As he prepared to sleep by her bed yet again, Sam whispered,

“Good night, baby. Daddy loves you.”


	12. Seventeen Years Old

**A/N: This chapter again focuses on Sam. It’s short, but very sad. It explains Sam’s reasoning for giving Evy the silent treatment after she runs away.**       

Sam didn’t want to be angry at Evy, but he was. He was angry, and hurt, and he hated himself for it. But every time he thought about it, he’d remember how he felt when he realized Evy was missing. When he realized that she wasn’t coming back from running out of the house angry. And when he thought about that, the anger would return.

            Sam knew Dean was right. He knew he’d had a part in this, and he knew he should address it. Most of all, he felt guilty for threatening to address the situation the same way his father had. He’d seen the look on her face when he’d threatened that. She’d seemed so afraid of him at that point that for the briefest of moments Sam’s anger was replaced with shame. And he knew that he shouldn’t have screamed at her. He felt like a hypocrite for that. He was constantly telling Evy to ‘talk to me’, and he had always made it clear to her that the house rules applied to everyone, not just her. Sam was not an angry man. He was tired, and had been for a long time, after a life filled with constant loss, sadness, and violence. But, for once, the anger overruled all his other emotions.

            Evy had been back for two nights now. After their one-sided confrontation the first night, Sam had avoided talking to her. He knew it hurt her. He’d heard her crying herself to sleep, and it had torn him apart. But what Evy didn’t realize was that Sam was afraid. He didn’t talk to her because he was afraid he’d hurt her even more. And he couldn’t risk that. So every time he saw her, every time she tried to talk to him, he walked away. It wasn’t a permanent solution, but he couldn’t talk to her at the moment.

            Sam wasn’t able to sleep that night, so he had been in the kitchen getting something to drink. As he walked past Evy’s bedroom door, he stopped. He hadn’t checked on her since she’d gotten back, and out of habit, it just didn’t feel right. So he opened her bedroom door slowly, hoping not to wake her up. She was sleeping, and Sam stood watching her. He saw her face was slightly red and puffy. She’d fallen asleep crying again.

            Sam felt tears burning in his own eyes now. He felt sick. His whole life had been about protecting Evy and keeping her safe from harm. Making sure she knew he loved her. And he knew was failing. He wiped his tears away, almost waking Evy up to hold her and tell her how sorry he was for making her think he hated her. But he was still angry. She was no longer a child. Her actions had to have consequences. She had run away from home in a fit of rage, and she had to realize that she couldn’t do that and just have their relationship go back to the way it was. Despite what he feared she was thinking at that moment, Sam was proud of the young woman he’d raised, and he hoped to have the chance to tell her that again soon. Memories started to form in Sam’s head, and they overwhelmed him. Sam choked back a sob. He missed his little girl so bad it hurt. Unable to completely ignore her at the moment, Sam reached down, pulled her blanket to her chest, and gently stroked her cheek.

“I’m so sorry, baby. Daddy does love you. Nothing will ever change that.” He whispered. He kissed her forehead and turned to leave, two of his own tears streaming down his face.


	13. Eighteen Years Old

**A/N: On her eighteenth birthday, six weeks after the last chapter, Evy gives Sam and Dean a present.**

“Okay, geek. I’m headed home.”

“Bye.” Evy said, walking to the door with Jordan. Once Jordan was gone, Evy turned back to Sam, who was still on the couch. “That was fun. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Sam said. “I think I’m going to bed.”

“Hold it.” Evy said. “Not so fast.”

“What…?”

            Before Sam could finish his question, Evy went back to her room. She came back out with a wrapped present, one Sam hadn’t seen before. She sat next to him on the couch, handing him the present with a big smile. Sam took it from her and asked,

“What is this?”

“It’s for you.” Evy said.

“But it’s _your_ birthday.” Sam said, though he took the present from her anyway.

            Sam took the paper off the present and put it next to him. In his hands was a thick scrapbook. He opened it up, and it was full of pictures of the two of them. Dean had often made fun of him for always having a camera on him, but it had paid off. The pictures were in order, from the weekend she’d first shown up at the bunker, to all of her birthdays, to each first day of school, to sports games, to not so good times being sick, injured, or upset. Dean joined them, and the three of them talked long into the night about each picture. It was more emotional than any of them intended it to be, but it was worth it. When Sam reached the last page, photos that he’d taken at Evy’s high school graduation, he smiled.

“Thank you, baby.”

“You’re not done yet.” Evy said.

            She flipped the page and picked up two envelopes, one marked ‘Daddy’ and one marked ‘Uncle Deanie’. She handed each of them their envelopes, then watched nervously as they opened them. Her eyes darted back and forth between them. Neither of them spoke, and Sam was the first to finish his letter.

_Dear Daddy,_

_It’s been a long six weeks since I came back home. I know you told me you forgive me, and I believe you, but there’s some things I should have said to you after we made up that I’m going to say now._

_I know you doubt yourself a lot. You wonder if you’re doing a good enough job, giving me what I deserve. Well, here I am now. I’m an adult. Judge for yourself. You did such a good job showing me you loved me that first year we were all together that I didn’t think twice about naming you Daddy when Dean rescued me from the Genai. The clearest memory I have of that now is not what happened in that warehouse, but of you being there, holding me and telling me you loved me and that everything was going to be okay. I made it through that car accident because you were there telling me I could do it. You did everything you could when we moved here to make sure I knew that no matter what changed about where we lived, where I went to school, where and how much you worked, that the one thing that hadn’t changed was how much and how deeply you loved me. And when coach Evans hurt me, the only place I ever felt 100% safe was with you. Even when I ran away, I never once doubted that._

_I know losing my twin hurt you (sorry, I couldn’t think of a better way to say it). I know it hurt you and I’m sorry. I wish I could bring her back for you. But I get it now. You needed a second chance, and I came along. If you’re still willing to be my daddy, I’d like to be your baby._

_One more thing. In all these years, there’s one thing you’ve done consistently that really makes me mad. You’ve set the bar way too high for any guy that I meet in the future. Because if I find a guy that treats me half as good as you do, I’ll be the luckiest girl in the world._

_Love you always,_

_Evy_

            As Sam was processing his letter, Dean was reading his own letter for the second time.

_Uncle Deanie,_

_First thing I want to say, again, is that I’m sorry for running away. I know it hurt you. And I’m really sorry about the Evy you guys lost before. I know you loved her, and I know it hurt when she died. I wish I could bring her back for you. But thank you for not getting angry with me about running away. I was so worried that you guys would hate me for doing it. I know now that it was stupid to think that, but I’m glad you proved me wrong anyway. And thank you for understanding more completely why I did it._

_You’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had. Better than Lily, better than Jordan, better than anyone. Anytime I was having a hard time with Daddy, for whatever reason, or he couldn’t be there, I knew you would be. You’re my soft place to fall, and I love you for it. You’ve taken care of me and Daddy my whole life, and I love you for it. I know you wanted me to give the world, but you gave me something more important. You gave me YOU. I’ve never doubted you loved me, but you proved it to me that day you quit hunting. I know Daddy made you choose between hunting and staying with me. He didn’t tell me, I just kind of guessed. But thank you for choosing me. My life would’ve still been good with Daddy, but it wouldn’t have been complete without you._

_Love you, uncle Deanie._

_Love,_

_Baby Girl_

“Come here.” Sam said, guiding Evy so she was sitting between him and Dean. He grabbed her and squeezed her tight, then kissed the top of her head and held her. “I will always, _always,_ be your daddy. I love you so much, baby. And yes, you are an adult now. But I will always be your daddy, and you’ll always be my baby. Got it?” “Got it.” Evy answered.

“My turn.” Dean said, pulling her gently away from Sam and towards him. “Just like your dad said, I’ll always be your uncle Deanie. I’ll always be your friend. You mean more to me than hunting ever did. Losing you would have made all that mean nothing. And taking care of you was not a chore, it was a privilege.” Dean said. “Got it?”

“Got it.” Evy said. “I’m going to bed.” “Good night, baby girl.” Dean said, at the same time Sam said, “Good night, baby.” “Good night, guys.” Evy said. “I love you.”

“We love you too, baby.” Sam said. “Every minute of every day. Always have and always will.”


	14. Nineteen Years Old

**A/N: This chapter’s an extension of a scene of the last chapter of New Life, New Family. Squish has gotten incredibly sick, and the doctor has heartbreaking news for Evy.**

“There’s _nothing_?”

“I’m so sorry. No, there’s not.” Dr. McKinney said. “Anything we did at this point would just prolong the inevitable.”

“How did it get this bad and we didn’t notice?” Sam asked. “As far as I know, he hasn’t shown any symptoms…”

“I haven’t seen anything either.” Evy said.

“Sometimes that happens. Does he ever hide? It might just be for a few minutes. But does he go somewhere by himself?”

“He’s been going into my closet the last few months. He’ll stay in there for a while then come back out.” Evy said.

“Most likely, he was hurting, and he was trying to hide it from you.”

            Evy picked up Squish, who was laying lazily on her lap. She held him close to her face, waiting for him to get annoyed and push her away. When it didn’t happen, Evy felt her heart shatter.

“I’m sorry to bring this up, but…” Dr. McKinney said, but he was cut off by Evy.

“Then don’t.” She said, not unkindly but sadly. “I know what you’re gonna say.”

“Baby…” Sam started.

“Does it have to happen now?” Evy asked. “Can we wait a little?”

“Baby, the longer we wait, the harder it’ll be.” Sam said.

Evy turned to Sam and said, “I can’t just leave him here to die. He deserves better than that.”

“We can do it whenever you want.” Dr. McKinney said. “But the longer we wait, the more it’s gonna hurt him.”

“I just want a day.” Evy said, fighting tears. “Can we come back tomorrow night?”

“Sure.” Dr. McKinney said. “I’ll be on tomorrow night. Just ask for me when you come back.”

“We will. Thanks, Doc.” Sam said, reaching over and shaking the doctor’s hand.

Dr. McKinney turned to a clearly heartbroken Evy. “I’m sorry, Evy. I wish there was some treatment, something we could do.” “Thank you.” Evy said quietly.

“I’ll be here when you come back.” Dr. McKinney said.

            Evy and Sam took the very sick Squish home. The next twenty-four hours were full of Evy holding Squish and Sam and Dean holding an upset Evy. The next night, they were back at the animal hospital. Evy took Squish back into the office, Sam standing behind her. Dr. McKinney explained the procedure, and finally the time came. Sam, convinced that it would upset Evy more than she already was to be there when Squish passed away, tried twice to convince her to leave the room. The second time, Evy snapped,

“I’m not leaving him!”

            Sam stood behind Evy as a now lethargic Squish lay on the vet’s table. Evy grabbed a chair and pulled it in front of him. She grabbed one of Squish’s paws and petted his face gently. The tears wouldn’t stop flowing, but she spoke clearly.

“You’re gonna be okay. The doctor’s just going to give you a little prick. It’ll put you to sleep and make you feel all better.” Squish meowed weakly and licked Evy’s hand. “Shhhh. I’m right here. I won’t leave you. I love you.”

Evy looked at the doctor and nodded. The doctor found it hard to work though his own aching heart. He so often dealt with neglected and abused animals, or well-meaning owners who just didn’t know how to care for their animals properly, that it killed him when an owner who was as loving and conscientious as Evy was had to be in this situation. Squish had seemed healthy until a week earlier, when Evy had brought him in because he wasn’t eating. After some testing, the doctor had delivered the news two days earlier that Squish was in the end stage of cancer, and was no doubt suffering. Evy had taken him home and spent one last day with him. The doctor cleared his throat, looked to Sam for approval, then, as gently as he could, injected Squish. Almost immediately, Squish took his last breath. Evy buried her face in her arms and sobbed, until Sam put a hand on her shoulder. She stood, threw her arms around Sam’s neck, and sobbed into his shoulder until she couldn’t cry anymore.

 


	15. Twenty Years Old

**A/N: Evy gets her first apartment. Jordan and his partner/boyfriend Scott are also in this chapter.**

“Last box!”

“About time.” Evy said.

            Jordan walked inside with the last box from his car. Scott followed behind him, hands in his pocket, and Evy grinned as she took a drink of the Gatorade Jordan had brought for her. This was only her second time meeting Scott, and she was surprised at how shy he seemed to be. Jordan was just the opposite. From the first time he’d met Evy, in their middle school library at the age of thirteen, he seemed to have never stopped talking. Half the time, Evy wasn’t even listening, she’d just nod her head and make noises of sympathy or agreement with whatever he was saying. So far, he seemed to have not caught on, though she had no doubt he did that to her sometimes too. _A true best friend_ , Evy thought. She capped the Gatorade and smiled at Scott.

“Sorry to make you work on a Saturday.” She said.

Scott shrugged. “It’s okay. What do you need help with?”

“Um…” Evy looked around to see where to start but was interrupted by Jordan.

“I’m hungry, let’s go get something to eat.”

Evy laughed. “You’re always hungry.”

“You’re one to talk. Remember the last time your dad took us out for pizza?”

Evy snorted. “Yeah. He said he’d never do it again.” “What happened?” Scott asked.

“Both of us ate a whole medium pizza. Each.” Evy explained.

“You can’t have that big an appetite.” Scott said to Jordan. “I’ve never seen you eat more than just a burger.”

“He was probably trying to impress you.” Evy said. “If you help me unpack, I’ll tell you some more about him you might not know.”

“Deal.”

            The three of them worked for a little over two hours and had the majority of Evy’s things put away. Around 7:00 that night, Evy sat on the flimsy couch, looking around at her first apartment. It was small, about the size of a ‘shoebox’, as Jordan had put it, but it was her own. Scott sat on one side of Evy, Jordan on the other.

“You still want to get some dinner?” Evy asked.

“No way. Too tired now.” Jordan said.

Scott chuckled. “I can make us some spaghetti if you want.”

“You can cook?” Evy asked.

“On a good day.” Scott grinned. “I think _I’m_ in love with you.” Evy said, leaning over to give Scott a kiss on the cheek.

Jordan pulled her away from Scott. “Hey, hey, now, he’s mine.”

            An hour later, there was a gigantic pot of spaghetti on the table, and Evy, Jordan, and Scott were all on their second helping. Scott refilled their glasses, shared a quick kiss with Jordan, then asked Evy,

“So, what exactly is it that you do here?”

“I am…” Evy said, taking a bite off her fork, “sort of the pseudo-landlord. I collect rent, and let the real landlord know who isn’t paying. I also tell him if there’s any maintenance stuff that needs to be done.”

“So you just collect the rent and he still does the dirty work? That’s pretty cool.” Scott said.

“Yeah. I don’t have to be the bad guy.” Evy said. “In return, he’s letting me live in here, rent-free, utilities included, and he gives me fifty bucks a week for groceries and stuff.”

“That’s awesome.” Scott said. “How’s it feel to be away from home for the first time?”

Evy shrugged. “A little scary, I guess. But my dad’s not far…” As soon as Evy mentioned Sam, there was a knock on the door, and she turned to Jordan. “Bet you my whole next week’s pay I know who that is.”

“I know better than to take that bet.” Jordan said.

“Who is it?” Evy asked.

“Baby girl, it’s us. We brought pizza.”

“It’s both of them!” Evy said with a laugh.

“Both of who?” Scott asked.

“My dad and uncle.” Evy explained, getting up to go answer the door. She let in Sam and Dean, who looked around at the mostly decorated apartment. “Come on in, guys.” “It’s looking good, baby.” Sam said. He and Dean noticed the stranger in the apartment. “Hi…”

“Oh, that’s right, you guys haven’t met.” Evy said, taking the pizza from Dean and setting it down on her coffee table. “Scott, this is my dad, Sam, and my uncle, Dean. This is Scott, Jordan’s boyfriend.”

“Oh. Hi.” Sam said, shaking Scott’s hand. “We’ve heard about you.”

“You have, huh?” Scott said, turning an eye towards Jordan. Dean laughed. “Only good things, we swear.”

“Daddy, uncle Dean, thanks for the pizza, but we already ate…” “I’m still hungry.” Jordan said. He flipped open the box and was surprised to find the pizza was half pineapple and mushroom and half cheese, sausage, and pepperoni-one side his favorite, one side Evy’s. “How’d you know I’d still be here?”

“It was a safe bet.” Sam said. “We came over to see if you needed any help, but it looks like your mostly done.”

“Yeah, we got most of it done.” Evy said. “Scott made some spaghetti. There’s still plenty left. You guys want some?”

            The five of them stayed up late into the night, talking. Evy was grateful they were all there. She did love the thought of being on her own, but she was nervous about it. New places gave her nightmares. As she cleaned up from their massive dinner of pizza and spaghetti, she realized that was probably the reason Sam had come over in the first place. Her suspicions turned out to be exactly right.

“Do you want me to spend the night?” Sam asked when they were alone.

Evy sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Look, even if I don’t stay, Dean will. He’ll pretend to look for anything in here that he can fix. You know that.” Sam said, making Evy chuckle. “Just let us stay tonight, and I promise I’ll make him go home tomorrow.” “Deal.” Evy said. “I don’t know where you two are gonna sleep, though.”

“We’ll figure that out.” Sam said.

“’Kay. I think Jordan was planning to do that if you didn’t.”

“Scott seems like a cool guy.” Sam remarked.

“Yeah.” Evy said. “I think we’ll be friends.”

“I think you’re right.” Scott had come into the kitchen and heard the last part of their conversation. “I came to tell you me and Jordan were heading out.”

“Okay. Come back anytime. With or without Jordan.” Evy said.

“Hey! I heard that!” Jordan said from the living room.

Evy walked into the living room and cracked, “When you can cook like him, I’ll take it back.”

“Bye, geek.”

“Bye.”             Once they were gone, Evy turned to Sam and Dean. “Thanks for coming, guys.”

“You didn’t think you’d get rid of us that easy, did you?” Dean asked.

“Where are you gonna sleep?”

“Dean packed the cot, and I’ll sleep on the couch.” Sam said.

Evy shrugged. “Works for me. Good night, you guys.”

“Good night, baby. Love you.”

            Early the next morning, as Sam got up to go to work, he took his first good look around Evy’s small one room apartment. There was a mattress on the floor in the corner, a cheap one Sam had picked up for her from a thrift store. He remembered the argument the day he’d bought it. Evy had reminded him she had a couch to sleep on, but Sam had insisted on her taking the mattress. ‘Just for backup’, he’d said. She had a chair, one that had been in their house for years, and had once belonged to Dean. It was one of the few things they had that had traveled with them from the bunker, to their house in Lebanon, to their current house in Minnesota. A sudden flashback came to mind.

_Twelve Years Earlier_

_Evy was sick with the flu. Sam was doing everything he could to help her feel better, but his efforts felt useless. She was hot and cold at the same time, sweating, congested, hurting, and just plain miserable. Dean’s car pulled up, and Sam felt relieved. He loved caring for Evy, but maybe Dean could bring a smile to her face when he couldn’t._

_“Uncle Deanie’s home.” Sam said._

_“’Kay.” Evy said quietly._

_Dean walked inside and frowned at the sight in front of him. Evy looked terrible. Sam had taken her to the ER the night before, but the medicine she was taking was slow. He walked over to her and pushed some of her hair out of her sweaty face._

_“How you feeling, kiddo?”_

_“Not so good.” Evy said, sounding pitiful._

_Dean nodded. “I know. I’ve got an idea to help you feel better. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”_

_“Okay.” Evy said._

_“Dean?” Sam asked. “Just trust me.” Dean said._

_For the first time, Sam noticed that Dean was holding a bag in his hand. He nodded, and went back to holding Evy. He was trying desperately to get her to sleep. She had only slept for two hours the night before, which meant that Sam had slept even less. Dean went into the bathroom, and came out a few minutes later. He had changed from his work uniform, and was now in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. He had taken a quick shower. Sam immediately picked up on the smell of menthol. He put the pieces together just as Dean was reaching for Evy._

_“Come here, kiddo.”_

_Dean picked up Evy, and Sam immediately traded spots with him. Dean set Evy in his lap, positioning her so she could breathe in the Vicks vapor rub on his chest. He gently told her to take some deep breaths, and after a few seconds of her not whimpering or crying anymore, Dean asked,_

_“That feel any better, baby girl?”_

_“Yeah.” Evy said._

_“Okay. You try and get some sleep.” When Evy started to protest, Dean said, “You can stay right here. Just close your eyes.”_

_“Tank you, unca De.”_

_“Go to sleep, baby girl.” Dean said, and kissed the top of her head. He looked up to an exhausted but relieved Sam. “You too.”_

_“Thank you, Dean.” Sam said sincerely. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that earlier.” “Because you’re exhausted.” Dean said. “Set your alarm for two hours from now. I ordered pizza and it should be here by then. Hopefully she’ll still be sleeping, and we can put her to bed. And hand me the TV remote.”_

_Sam nodded and walked over to Evy, who was already in an exhausted sleep. “Sleep well, baby. Daddy loves you.”_

Sam walked over to the still sleeping Evy in the corner. He’d left a note for her that he was going off to work, and to call if she needed him. She hadn’t had any nightmares the night before. It was good for Evy, but sad for Sam. She was now grown up. He kissed her cheek and said softly,

“Sleep well, baby. Daddy loves you.”


	16. Twenty-One Years Old

**A/N: In this chapter, Evy meets her future husband. I thought about some elaborate meeting for the two of them, but then I remembered the rule I’ve given all my friends for blind dates-you set me up, you have to go too. This chapter is short, and Sam and Dean don’t appear, except for a brief passing reference.**

“Jordan, what did you do?”

“What do you mean?” Jordan asked, still not looking at Evy.

Evy leaned forward, close to Jordan, so that he was forced to look at her. “We’ve been here twenty minutes. You haven’t looked at me once for longer than five seconds. You’re looking at the door. What did you do?”

Jordan sighed and gave up the fight. “I set you up on a blind date.”

“What the hell, Jordan?” Evy whispered furiously.

“I thought if I told you that’s what we were doing, you wouldn’t come!”

“You were right. You know I hate blind dates.” Evy said. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“Please just trust me.” Jordan begged.

“Why is this so important to you?” Evy asked.

“Because I found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I want the same for you.”

Evy’s anger softened the slightest bit. She looked away from him so that he wouldn’t see he was getting to her. Evy knew he meant well, but she was terrified. She wasn’t crazy about meeting strangers. She’d never even had a boyfriend before. Evy turned back to Jordan and said,

“Fine. I’ll do it. But you’re staying here with me. If I have a crappy time, you’re having a crappy time.”

Jordan smiled. “Sure.”

“And Jordan?”

“Yeah?”

Evy took his hand and squeezed. “Thanks.”

“No problem, geek.”

“Jordan?”

            Evy looked up at the introduction of a new voice to the table. Standing just behind her was a man that, on first impression, reminded her of Sam. He was a little over six feet tall, a few inches taller than Evy. His voice was soft, but he seemed like he could be very intimidating if he wanted to be. _God, he’s handsome_ , Evy thought, unable to look away. She could almost feel the smirk on Jordan’s face, even though she was looking away from him.

“Hey, Mike. How you doing?”

“Good.” Mike said, looking down towards Evy. “You must be Evelyn.”

“If you have any hope of us remaining friends, you will never call me that again.”

Mike laughed. “I’m Mike. Most people call me Mickey.”

Evy extended her hand. “Evy. Nice to meet you.”


	17. Twenty-Two Years Old

**A/N: After they’ve been dating for a while, Sam and Dean meet Mickey for the first time.**      

Evy stopped the car in front of the house, surprised that Sam and Dean were not waiting outside for them. She looked at Mickey, who had a white knuckle grip on the door. He was muttering to himself, and looked like he wished the ground would open up beneath him. Evy couldn’t help it; she laughed until tears were streaming down her face.

“What’s so funny?” Mickey asked.

“Why are you so nervous?” Evy asked. “You’re a cop, what do you have to be scared of?”

Mickey loosened his grip on the door a little, but he was still nervous. “It’s your dad and uncle. What if they hate me?”

“They won’t hate you.” Evy said.

“I need to make a good first impression. I don’t want to mess things up with you.”

“Aww. You’re so sweet.” Evy said, taking his head. “They’re gonna love you. Because _I_ do.”

“Do they know…everything about what we do?” Mickey asked.

“Most of it.” Evy said with a grin.

“Do they know about…?” Mickey asked.

He suddenly trailed off when he noticed the front door open. Dean was standing there waving, with a big goofy grin on his face. Evy rolled her eyes and shook her head. She knew what Mickey was asking, and she knew the answer she was about to give him was mean, but she couldn’t resist.

“No. They don’t know that. Because if they did, they _would_ kill you then.”

            Evy said nothing else as she climbed out of the car. As she went to the porch, Mickey followed behind her. Dean embraced Evy, keeping an eye on Mickey from over her shoulder. Dean pretended to scowl at Mickey, then let Evy go from the hug.

“Hey, kiddo. It’s been a while.”

“It’s been two days.” Evy argued.

“Two days too long.” Dean said. “Who’s your friend?”

“Uncle Dean, this is Mickey. Mickey, my uncle Dean.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Mickey said, extending an arm out to Dean.

Dean regarded Mickey closely as he shook his hand. “You too.” He said simply. “Come on inside.”

“Where’s Daddy?” Evy asked.

“He’s in the kitchen.” Dean said. “He’s almost done with dinner.” “I’m gonna go say hi. Uncle Dean, be nice to him.” Evy said, pointing to Mickey.

“Of course I will be.” Dean said.

            Evy shook her head, then headed to the kitchen. Sam was pulling something out of the oven. She took a deep breath and smiled. Garlic bread. Sam put the pan on the table, then turned back to the oven, where the pot of spaghetti was still boiling. As Sam picked up the spoon, Evy knocked on the kitchen door.

“Knock knock.”

Sam turned and smiled. “Hey, you.”

“Hey.” Evy walked over and wrapped an arm around Sam’s waist. “Spaghetti for dinner? Yummy.”

“Glad you like it.” Sam said, kissing the top of her head. “Where’s Mickey?”

“I left him in the living room.”

“With _Dean_?” Sam asked with a laugh.

Evy shrugged as she sat down at the table. “He’s a cop. I figured it was a somewhat even match.”

Sam chuckled. “Would you hand me the strainer?”

“Sure.” Evy said, reaching into the cabinet and pulling it out. As she handed it to Sam, she noticed him smiling at her. “What?”

“You look happy.” Sam said. “Really happy.”

“I am.” Evy said. She looked towards the living room and said, “I really like this guy.”

“Good. I’m happy for you.”

“Really?” Evy asked.

“What, you don’t believe me?”

“I don’t know, I guess I just thought you’d be a little more upset I was dating.” Evy said.

“Oh, believe me. He ever hurts you, I’ll kill him.” Sam said. “But if you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Thanks, Daddy. I think you’ll really like him.”

“Why don’t you go rescue him from Dean?” Sam suggested. “Dinner’s ready.”

            The dinner went surprisingly well. Despite their somewhat tense beginning, by the end of the night, Mickey, Dean, and Sam were good friends. It was nearly midnight before Mickey realized he had to get to work. His uniform was in Evy’s car, so she handed him her keys.

“I’ll spend the night here. Just call me when you get there.”

“Just then?” Mickey asked with a smirk.

“And every hour after.”

“Yes, ma’am. Love you.” Mickey answered. She started to answer him back, but he cut her off with a kiss. “See you soon.”

“You better. Be safe.”

Mickey turned back to Sam and Dean. “Nice meeting you guys.” “You too.” Sam said. When Mickey was out the door, Sam nodded. “I like him.”

“Me too.” Evy said.

“Me three.” Dean said.

Evy laughed. “Really?”

“Yeah, baby girl. He’s a good kid. And he makes you happy.” Dean said.

“Thank you both. For not threatening to kill him.”

“Umm….” Dean suddenly couldn’t look at Evy. “Yeah. Okay.” “What did you two talk about when I was in the kitchen?” Evy asked.

“Dean?” Sam asked.

“How much we both love you.” Dean answered.

“Yeah, right.” Evy said. She stood up and walked over to him, wrapping an arm around his neck. “I love you too. Good night.”

“Good night, baby girl.” Dean said.

 “Good night, baby. Love you.” Sam said.

“Good night, daddy.” As Evy climbed into bed, she found a text from Mickey. _Just signed in. About to go on shift. I had fun tonight. Love you xoxo_

 _Love you more, teddy bear._ Evy answered. _They liked you. A lot. That’s a good sign._

_Good. Your uncle scares me a little._

_Just a little?_ Evy asked with a laugh.

_Okay, a lot. Your dad, just a little._

_I’m going to sleep. Stay safe. Text me every hour or I’ll kick your butt._

_Yes, ma’am. Get to sleep. Love you xoxoxo_

“Love you more.” Evy said, putting her phone on her pillow and closing her eyes to go to sleep.

 


	18. Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four Years Old

Evy hated herself for the predicament she was in now, but not enough to stop. She was lying on her couch, an almost empty box of Kleenex in front of her, all the lights off, and a sappy romantic comedy she’d seen a thousand times playing on the TV. But she wasn’t sick. She was sad, and upset, and hurting, and a thousand other things she didn’t really understand. There was a knock on the door, and even though she didn’t make a move to answer it, it opened anyway.

“Hey, geek. What’s up?” Jordan asked as he shut the door behind him.

“What does it look like?” Evy asked, sniffing.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jordan asked. “Are you crying?”

“No.” Evy lied. 

“Liar.” Jordan said. He patted her feet at the end of the couch. “Come on, let me sit with you.”

Evy sat up and crossed her legs on the couch.

“Come on, tell me what’s up.” Jordan said. “Please.”

Evy looked down at the floor. “I broke up with Mickey.”

Jordan smiled. “I know.”

“What do you mean you know?” Evy asked.

“Would you believe me if I said it’s because I have this telepathic connection with you and I felt it when you were upset?” Jordan said. When Evy let out a half smile and shook her head, Jordan confessed, “He called me.”

“What did he say?” Evy asked.

“That he was an idiot and he missed you.”

“Really?” Evy asked with a spark of hope.

“No.” Jordan said. “He said you were upset because of him getting hurt at work last week.”

“He got _shot_ , Jordan. On a traffic stop.” Evy said. “What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Look, I know that scared you…” Jordan said.

“I can’t do it again.”

“Do what again?” Jordan asked. “What are you talking about?”

Evy took a breath and looked at her hands before responding. “Remember what I told you? Right before I ran away when I was seventeen?”

“You really think I could forget _that?_ ” Jordan asked.

Evy smiled. “I guess not.” Evy had told Jordan about Sam and Dean being hunters, the only person she’d ever talked about it with outside the family. “When I was really little, before I ended up with the Sam and Dean you know now, they tried really, really hard to give me a good childhood. But every time they were on a hunt, I was always worrying if I was ever gonna see them again.”

“And you don’t want to go through that again?” Jordan guessed.

Evy nodded. “Yeah.”

Jordan grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help you with this.”

“You already are.” Evy said. “Just being here.”

“Have you talked to your dad?” Jordan asked.

“No. I don’t want to talk to him right now.” Evy said.

“Um….”

“You already called him, didn’t you?” Evy asked. The second knock of the night made Evy roll her eyes. “Come in!”

Sam walked inside, followed by Dean, who was holding a gallon of Evy’s favorite ice cream in her hand.

“Hi, guys.” Evy said.

“Hey, baby.” Sam said. He sat on her other side as Dean went to the kitchen to put the ice cream away. “How are you?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Really?” Sam asked. “Then why have you been crying?”

Evy smiled. “I can’t fool you guys, can I?” “Don’t know why you still try.” Dean said, handing her a heaping bowl of cookies and cream ice cream.

Evy took it from him and half-heartedly took her first bite. “Thanks.” “So what happened?” Sam asked.

Evy shrugged. “I got scared.”

“Scared of what?” Sam prodded.

“When I got that call last week that he was in the hospital, I was so scared. It felt like…” Evy took a bite of her ice cream when she realized what she had been about to say.

“Like what, baby girl?” Dean asked.

“Like when I used to worry about whether or not you guys would come home from a hunt.”

            Sam and Dean looked at each other, faces etched with guilt. Years after they’d both quit hunting, the remnants of their old lives were still having an effect on Evy. She was so scared she’d end up with anything remotely like what she’d grown up in her early years that she was giving up one of the best things in her life.

“We got in this big fight. I told him I wanted him to quit.”

“Aww, kiddo…” Dean said.

“I was just a big jerk.” Evy said. “I know being a cop makes him happy, but I didn’t care.”

“You were scared, baby.” Sam said. “You overreacted. But now that you know…”

“He doesn’t want to see me anymore.” Evy said. She lost her appetite and put the bowl on the coffee table in front of her. “I miss him.”

“Then it’s a good thing your dad’s not the only one I called tonight.” Jordan said.

Jordan felt Evy’s glare at the back of his head but ignored it as he went to the door. Mickey stepped in with flowers and another tub of ice cream. Evy couldn’t help it; she giggled when she saw the ice cream.

“What’s so funny?”

Evy pointed at the half-melted bowl of ice cream on the coffee table.

“Oh.” He said, somewhat awkwardly.

“Here. I’ll put it in the freezer. It’s not like she won’t eat it anyway.” Jordan said.

            Evy playfully flung a pillow at Jordan, who ducked and laughed when it hit her refrigerator.  There was a somewhat awkward silence in the room for a few moments, which Mickey finally broke.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Evy said, not leaving her place on the couch. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too. Can we talk?” “I guess.” Evy said, reaching for the flowers. “Give me those.”

“We’ll leave you two alone.” Sam said. “You gonna be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” Evy said. “Thanks, guys.”

“Bye, kiddo.” Dean said.

“Bye.” Once everyone was gone, Jordan getting dragged out by Sam, the two of them were alone. “I really am sorry.”

Mickey got beside her, placing the flowers on the table. “Do you really want me to quit?”

“No. It just scared me.”

“Honey, look. I know it was a scary call. But I wasn’t hurt that bad. The guy aimed and fired, but he missed and grazed my ear. Yeah, it hurt like hell, but I was back at work in two days.” Mickey said.

“But what if it happens again?” Evy protested.

“I can’t promise it won’t. And I can’t promise it won’t be worse if it does happen again. But ninety-nine percent of the time, my days are kind of boring.” Mickey said.

“Really?” Evy asked. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

“I promise I’m not. But I can promise you something.” “What?” Evy asked.

“If you’ll have me back, that I’ll always do everything I can to come back home to you.”

Evy smiled. “Deal.” “Does that mean what I think it means?” Mickey asked, leaning over for a kiss.

“Yep.” After kissing him a couple times, Evy pointed at the ice cream bowl on the coffee table. “Means you get to do the dishes.”

Mickey laughed. “Sure. Can I spend the night?”

“We’ll see.” Evy said. “Why’d you wait until my dad and uncle left to ask that?”

“Because I want to see the morning.”

“Hey.” Evy said, her tone suddenly serious. “I love you.” “I love you too, babe. Always.”

_Twelve Months Later_

Evy gripped Mickey’s hand, who still seemed pretty nervous. “We’ve got something to tell you guys.”

Sam and Dean took a quick look at each other; they both had a feeling they knew what she was going to say. “What is it, baby?”

“We’re getting married!”

**A/N: The next chapter is the last one-Evy’s wedding!**


	19. Twenty-Five Years Old

**A/N: Last chapter! Evy’s wedding day. I pulled the wedding scene I wrote in my story ‘What Will Never Be’ and expanded and tweaked it. I’m working on some other stuff, both Evy and non-Evy stories. Stay tuned!**

            It had been a long week, and Sam was surprised that he wasn’t eager for it to be over. The wedding preparations were more of a hassle than he’d thought they would be. He was grateful Evy wasn’t picky, because nothing had turned out the way she’d planned it. The only thing she’d insisted on were the flowers decorating the church and pinned to everyone’s collars. Pink roses. Sam had wondered where she got the idea for the roses. He knew her favorite flowers were daisies. Only two days earlier had she revealed the reason for the roses.

“You told me a long time ago that they were mom’s favorite. She can’t be there in person, so I want to do it for her.”

            The wedding guest list was also pretty small. On Evy’s side was him and Dean, Jordan and Scott, Jody, Claire, Alex, Cass, and a couple of the tenants from her apartment building job she’d become friends with. On Mickey’s side was his parents, some of his friends from the police department, and some people his parents had invited. There were more guests that Evy and Mickey had invited in the wedding party than out. Mickey’s parents had offered to pay for the wedding, but Evy had steadfastly refused. She wanted this to be entirely her day, so she had done everything with minimal help. Sam and Dean had insisted on getting her wedding dress, but everything else had been shared by the bride and groom.

Sam knocked on the door of the small back room of the church. He could hear the commotion inside; he imagined that Jody, Claire, Charlie, Alex, and Jordan were in there, doing their best to get Evy ready and themselves ready. Sam’s heart was beating hard in his chest. He waited patiently at the door, but eventually Jody came up behind him.

“Sam? You okay?”

Startled, Sam jumped. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just came to check on Evy.”

Jody smiled. “I think they’re almost done with her. Wait right here for a second.”

“Okay.”

            Jody went inside and Sam heard her tell everyone to “get it in gear”. Sam heard Jody tell them that he was outside the door. Some light protests from the other ladies were quickly squashed by Jody, who came back to the door in a little under a minute.

“Come on in, Sam.” As Sam stepped inside, Jody turned to the other ladies in the room. “Come on, ladies. Let’s give them a few minutes alone.”

            Everyone left the room and Jody gave Sam a kind smile before leaving. She reminded him that they had fifteen minutes, and told him Evy was in the bathroom and would be out in a second. Sam nodded, and closed the door. As he turned back around, he saw Evy had come out of the bathroom and his breath caught in his throat. Evy was dressed in a simple, flowing white dress with a white shawl around her shoulders. Her hair was up in an elegant bun, and the way she was smiling immediately transported Sam back over twenty years and made Sam think of Evy’s mother Missy. He swallowed hard and stared at her without saying anything. “Daddy?” she asked. “You okay?”

“My God.” Sam said. “You’re beautiful.”

“Really?” Evy asked.

Sam was broken out of his shock and smiled. “Yes.” he said, walking over to give her a hug. “Really.”

            Evy’s emotions were running rampant and out of control as she hugged Sam. She was nervous, wondering if she was doing the right thing and making the right decision. She was excited to start her new life with Mickey. She was sad because of all the people she wished could be there and weren’t-Bobby, John and her mother. Sam often told her she looked just like her mother, and while she believed him, she wished to see for sure.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked.

Evy took a deep breath before answering. “I don’t know.”

“Are you nervous?” Sam asked. He could feel her heart beating, and it felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest.

“A little.” she answered honestly. “I was thinking more about who isn’t here.” “Like who?” Sam asked.

“Bobby, Dad.” More quietly, she answered, “Mom.”

“I know, Cricket.” Sam said. “I wish they were here too.”

“I’m scared, Sammy.” she said suddenly.

So suddenly that Sam broke out of the hug and looked at her. “Scared? Scared of what?” Sam asked.

 “What if I screw this up?” Evy said.

“Do you want to do this?” Sam asked. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

Evy thought about what he was asking. Did she want to postpone the wedding? Part of her was sure that she did. She loved Mickey. But was she ready to settle down? Though Sam and Dean had done it for her, the ride had not been without its bumps and bruises.

“Whatever you decide, I’m proud of you.” Sam said. “I think it’s really brave of you to even think about this. But no matter what, Dean and I are always here for you.”

“Can I come in?”

            Sam and Evy had become so caught up in their conversation that they hadn’t noticed Dean standing at the door. Evy smiled and waved him in. Dean came over and sat beside them.

“You okay?” he asked, noticing that Evy seemed a little nervous.

“Cold feet.” Sam explained.

“Lukewarm feet.” Evy corrected.

“Look, kiddo.” Dean said, taking her hand. “I know I’ve given Mickey a hard time. But he’s a good guy. Not good enough for you, because that guy doesn’t exist. But he loves you, and if you love him, then me and Sammy are behind you.”

“That’s right, baby.” Sam said.

Evy squeezed Dean’s hand and took Sam’s. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Letting it out slowly, she said, “Let’s go.”

            Sam and Dean led her out towards the front room of the church where everyone was lining up and nearly ready to go. Sam, Dean, and Evy got to the back of the line, and Evy kept an arm around both of theirs. Sam had thought her idea to have them both give her away to be an unusual one, but he saw the reason behind it now. Evy needed the support of both of them. Evy was nervously biting her bottom lip and staring straight ahead, and Sam’s mind was flooding with a thousand different memories. Evy at one with birthday cake all over her face and John’s. Evy at three, crying, with a skinned knee, elbow, and face, after falling off his shoulders during a piggyback ride. Evy at five, grinning with blood coming out of her mouth and two teeth missing from falling down the stairs. Evy at six, smiling up at him from the bed in their first house together. Evy at eight, sleeping with her head on Dean’s chest while sick with the flu. Evy at nine, happily chatting with him as he let her stay up thirty minutes later than she had ever been allowed to before. Evy at eleven, running to him at his law school graduation and gushing about how proud she was of him. Evy at thirteen, holding and cuddling Squish after Dean brought him home. Evy at fifteen, goofy after waking up from oral surgery. Evy at sixteen, smiling from ear to ear after getting ready for the prom. Evy last year, at twenty-four, announcing to Sam and Dean that she was getting married, and ending the night by standing on Sam’s feet as they danced to “Listen to the Music”, the song he had sung to her throughout her childhood. All too soon, the three of them were standing at the entrance to the church, and “Here Comes the Bride” was playing.

            Where walking into the church had been the tough part for Sam, the vows were Dean’s undoing. He never heard a single word. In the space of the twenty minute ceremony, he heard and saw a thousand different memories. Evy in his lap at six months, shouting his name for the first time. Getting stung by a hornet at age two, cheering for him when he killed it for her. Flying her through the air, making her giggle so hard she couldn’t breathe. Her running up to him that first morning in the bunker and wrapping her arms around him. Lying in his lap with her head on his chest at age eight, sick and miserable with the flu. Letting her stay up late when Sam left the house. Arguing with her over which pie flavors were the best. Snuggling with her after having a nightmare, convincing her that the monsters were afraid of him. Her forgiving him after making a mess of their relationship after moving. Confiding in him about feeling scared moving out on her own. Before he knew it, the pastor was ending the ceremony.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Evelyn Harris!”

            Evy turned and caught Sam’s eye. She saw he’d been crying. Forgetting about the ‘order’ of the wedding, she walked over, grabbed Sam’s neck with one arm, and kissed his cheek. She did the same with Dean, then proceeded out. The guests made their way over to the hall where the reception was taking place. Claire helped Evy change into her dress for the reception. Evy decided she wanted her hair done a slightly different way, so Claire went into the kitchen to grab Jody, who was busy prepping the food in the kitchen. On the way, she ran into Mickey’s mother and her sister in the hallway.

“Did you see her dress?” The sister said. “It was so plain…”

“And the roses? Pinned to everyone’s jacket? So tacky….” Her mother complained. “And I can’t believe Mickey agreed to let her have a man standing up there next to her.”

“Don’t you two have anything better to do?” Claire snapped.

Mickey’s mom and aunt jumped; Claire’s hunter instincts kept her from being seen. “Excuse us?” his mom asked. “Who are you?”

“I’m friends with Evy. And I heard everything you said. Her dress was plain because she felt she looked beautiful in it. And she did. The roses were in memory of her mother, who died the day Evy was born. And everyone who was actually involved in the wedding thought it was a great idea. And the man standing up there has been Evy’s best friend for over a decade.” Claire said. “How much do you two know about Evy?” “What does that matter?” The mom asked.

“When she was seven, she got kidnapped by a psycho who had her convinced that Sam was dead and it was her fault. When she was eight, she and Sam got in a car accident that broke her leg and left her with fifty stitches and kept her out of school for two months. When she was sixteen, her high school basketball coach decided she was old enough to have sex with him, whether she wanted to or not.” Both women were frozen with a mix of shock and horror at being berated. “Now I don’t care how you two feel about Evy. And after you leave, I don’t care what you say about her. But you will _not_ be mean to her face and you will _not_ ruin this for her. If you do, her uncle and I’ll escort you out of here ourselves.  She has come too far and been through too much to have the best day of her life ruined by some cackling hens. Understand?”

“Do you know who I am?” The mother said, indignant.

“Yeah, I do. You’re Mickey’s mother. And if you want, I can tell him what I just caught the two of you doing. I know for a fact that he asked you to hold your tongue today. Would you like me to go to him?” When she said nothing, Claire continued. “That’s what I thought. So I’ll ask you again, do you understand me?”

Both the mom and the aunt, who Claire didn’t care enough about to learn their names, nodded their heads.

“Great. Now go be helpful or take your seats.” Claire watched them leave, shaking her head, then jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Sam looking appreciative. “Thanks.” He said simply.

“No problem.” Claire said.

“Where’s Evy?”

“She’ll be out in a minute.” Claire said.

            The hour that passed next was emotional for everyone. Jordan entertained the crowd with stories of their friendship, some of which Sam didn’t know about. Evy was blushing fiercely by the time he finished, when he said,

“Seriously, though. I love you, geek. You’re the closest thing to a sister I’ve ever had. I hope you guys have the best life you can possibly imagine.”

“Aww, I love you too.” Evy said.

            A few more dances later, Evy looked around for Sam. He was nowhere to be seen, so she headed outside. She found him standing underneath a tree outside, looking at something in his hand. Evy walked over to him slowly. Sam was so wrapped up in what he had in his hand that when Evy grabbed his arm, he jumped.

“Sorry.” Evy said with a giggle.

“It’s okay.” Sam said. “How are you, Mrs. Harris?”

“Still getting used to that.” Evy said. “And it’s Winchester-Harris.”

“Really?” Sam said, touched.

“Yeah.” Evy said. “I’m still a Winchester. No matter what.”

“I love you.” Sam said, kissing the top of Evy’s head.

“Love you more.” Evy replied. “What are you doing out here?” “I was looking at this.” Sam said, handing her the photograph he’d been looking at.

            It had been taken years earlier, the day Evy had finished putting together her room at their house in Lebanon. She was sitting on her bed, next to Dean, against a lime green wall, with her name above her in foam letters. She held her teddy bear in her arms, and Dean was tickling her. Evy tried unsuccessfully to block him with the bear, and Dean was responding by tickling her feet. Evy smiled at the memory.

“I didn’t know you kept this in your wallet.”

“I haven’t always.” Sam said. “I started keeping it in there when…”

“When what?” Evy asked.

“The week you ran away.”

It had been years since they talked about that week, the worst one they’d ever been through together. Evy broke the awkward silence. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t say that to drag it up. I said I forgave you for it and I meant it.” Sam said. “My point is, I started keeping it in there so that if I missed you, I could look at it and remember you being happy.”

“I’m not gone, Daddy.” Evy said. “We’re gonna be living in town.”

“I know that, but...” Sam pointed at the Evy in the picture. “I know you’re not gone, but this won’t happen again.”

“That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.” Evy said. “That’ll happen again. You’ll just have to do it with my kids.” “Kids?” Sam asked. “I can’t imagine being grandpa Sam.” “Well, one day you will be. So get used to that idea.” Evy said. Sam started to grin at the idea of grandchildren. Evy continued, “I need to ask you a favor.”

“Name it.”

“Mickey’s a little sad right now.” Evy said.

“On his wedding day?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. His mom and dad don’t like me very much. He only invited them because I made him.” Evy said.

“I still don’t get why they don’t like you.” Sam said, a little defensively.

“I don’t either. But I think you’re a little biased in that department.” Evy said with a smile. Sam shrugged, and Evy said, “He and his parents don’t get along real well. They’re really critical of him, and it bothers him a lot.” “So what do you want me to do?” Sam asked.

“Talk to him. Convince him he’s part of this family, no matter how his parents might treat him.” Evy said. “I told him that. It’s one thing coming from me, but I think he’ll really believe it if you tell him.”

“You got it, baby.”

Before they could keep talking, Jody was running towards them. “There you two are. It’s time to come back inside.”

“We’ll be there in a minute.” Evy said. “The lead singer from the band sent me out here. Your surprise for Sam’s about to happen.” Jody said.

“Oh!” “Surprise for me? What….?” Sam asked.

“Just come on. There’s a reason I wanted to wait on the father daughter dance.” Evy said. She grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled, urging him back towards the building.

“What did you do?” Sam asked.

“Come on and you’ll see.” Evy said.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.”

            Sam followed Evy and Jody back towards the building. Evy pulled him to the middle of the dance floor, where people were back to mingling. Evy nodded at the band’s lead singer, and he went back to the mic.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention, please.” The crowd stopped talking and turned their attention to the stage. “I have a request from the bride for the father daughter dance.  It’s the first time I’ve ever been asked to play this one at a wedding, so I hope you guys enjoy it. If everyone else could please clear the floor.”

The rest of the guests started to move out of the way, and Sam wrapped his arms around Evy’s neck. Once the last person was far enough away, Evy turned to face him. Sam nearly wept with joy when the music started.

“Don’t you feel it growing day by day, people getting ready for the news…”

            For the first time in that hectic day, Sam and Evy were alone, even though there were almost forty people around them. Sam gave her a hug as the music wound down.

“I love you, baby.” Sam said. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Daddy. Always.”


End file.
